You have, or are condidering, Microsoft Small Business Server

Note: On this page MS SBS is used to mean Microsoft Small Business Server
This section will be of particular interest to you if:

• You are thinking about buying your first server and are considering MS SBS
• You already have MS SBS and you are not happy with the performance and are considering upgrade options
• You are happy with the performance of your MS SBS, but are finding the administration difficult or are not happy with the support you are currently getting.

Disclaimer!

Before we start, we should make Westcountry Business Ltd's position on Microsoft Small Business Server clear. We are an independent company and we pride ourselves on offering objective advice and providing the right solution for our clients needs. We are not an Microsoft Certified partner although we do have clients using MS SBS which we support.

The opinions set out here are what we believe to be objective assessments based on our experience. We have tried to keep things as simple as possible because we believe are trying to inform a 'non-technical' audience. For detailed technical information, please refer to Microsoft's own website. Also, a tip for you non-techies, it is good practice to talk to more than one supplier before making a significant IT investment decision, so regardless of the advice below, you are still free to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner if you want to.

What is Microsoft Small Business Server?

Simply put, SBS is three Microsoft Products rolled into one. These products are:

• A Windows Server - This is the bit that allows you to share files, set up users who can log on, control security (who can access what) and generally be the controlling point of your network.
• An Exchange e-mail server - this is Microsoft's world famous email solution. In addition to email, through the use of Outlook on your PC you can share calendars, contacts, notes and all sorts
• An Internet Gateway - (using Microsoft's ISA Server) you can share your Internet connection securely and manage it effectively. It also acts as a 'firewall', which means it provides protection to your Internal network from the Internet. (Note: Regardless of the setup you choose, you should always make sure that some kind of firewall is in place between your network and the Internet).

MS SBS does provide a range of other functions as well, such as shared Fax and secure dial-in, but for the purposes of most small businesses (in our experience) this list covers the main features.

Pro's and Con's of the MS Small Business Server (in our humble option - always wary of Microsoft's large legal team!)

The pro's of MS SBS include:

• You get Microsoft's industry leading solutions at a much lower price than if the products were bought separately.
• You have pretty much all of the main IT requirements of a Small Business delivered in one installation.
• You are using 'Industry Standards'. While the question of 'What is standard' can be debated, there is no doubt that MS SBS is the most common solution in its field for small businesses. You are always likely to find an IT supplier who will know it and can support it.
• Its Windows - same as your desktop PCs - and it uses Outlook, which comes as part of Microsoft Office. So if you have bought Office, then you already have Outlook.

The con's could include:

• You are running a number of applications on a single computer that, in a larger enterprise, would normally all run on separate machines. This should be no problem in a small business, but as you use it more, and especially if you add your own applications (Accounts, Payroll, Operations etc) then you could encounter some performance - and even some stability - problems.
• You can only have one MS SBS on your network, so you can't decide to add another to 'spread the load'. This means you are tied to the 'eggs in one basket' approach.
• The Industry Leading solutions you get are primarily designed for large enterprises and require some technical knowledge to administer. This is particularly the case for the firewall and e-mail server. Microsoft have done a good job tying all the products together to give a Small Business front-end, which simplifies basic tasks such as creating new users. However, beyond that most small businesses will need technical support to set up SBS and keep it running as it should.

Microsoft Small Business Server as your first server

If you are deciding whether or not to by MS SBS, you can read the pro's and con's above, you can call us to discuss the options - or some other IT supplier - and you can talk to friends, colleagues etc. However, if you run your own small business, the question that can't be very far from your lips is 'Fine, but what's it all going to cost me'.

To give you a guide, a new server running MS SBS for 5 users will cost over £1,700. This price is based on buying a recommended Dell server from their website with MS SBS 2000 pre-installed. For more details, click here. If required, at Westcountry Business we can provide MS Small Business Server on one of our own computers for £1,450.

This indicative price only includes the hardware (i.e. the computer) with a standard MS SBS installation. It still needs to be installed in your network and configured to meet your requirements. As this is your first server, all data would need to be moved, everyone's computer would need to be re-configured. Even for a small business of 5 - 10 users, this could easily require a further 2-3 days - adding a further £600-£900 to the installation cost.

At Westcountry Business, we recognise that this is a significant investment for most small businesses. That is why we developed our own Westcountry Business 3-in-1 Server, which we believe provides all the functionality a small business needs, with simpler administration and can typically be setup and fully installed for less than half the cost of MS SBS. Click here to view our current price list.

Upgrade option for Microsoft Small Business Server

If you are experiencing performance problems with your MS SBS or maybe even reliability problems, the chances are that your computer is struggling at times with all that is being asked of it. This problem could be resolved by simply adding some more memory or disk. (See also - Options to Upgrade).

If the cost of upgrading you old server seems a little expensive, you could consider buying a new server. However bear in mind that if you bought your MS SBS with your current server, then it is probable OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) which means it belongs on the server, not to you. Basically, it could mean you need to buy the software again to gain legal entitlement to use it on the new server.

Our recommendation is simple. You have already paid for MS SBS, so keep the server in place to run Exchange (your email server) and add a Westcountry Business Small Business Server to do your file sharing, Internet access, Firewall, Remote Dial in etc. The low entry price of the Westcountry Business Small Business Server makes this option very competitive against a simple upgrade and you gain the advantages of having two servers sharing the load. (See also - Adding a server)

Problems with Microsoft Small Business Server admin or support

Most small businesses don't have either the time or the skills to support their MS SBS - or any server, come to that! It is important that you are able to do the routine tasks quickly and easily and have a good, reliable IT company to call on for the rest. Not all IT companies are the same and so, if you are not happy with your current level of IT support contact us. We would be happy to discuss your requirements.