Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard and Premium Add-on Released to Manufacturing

Today Microsoft announced that the next version of Small Business Server (2011) will be released to manufacturing. Early January will see the Volume Licensing versions released and from mid January, trial versions will be downloadable from the Microsoft Website.

Designed and priced for small businesses with up to 75 users, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard delivers enterprise-class server technology in an affordable, all-in-one solution. Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard not only helps to protect, access, and manage your information from virtually anywhere, but also allows your business to be more productive by providing:
• A great way to manage email with the powerful new Microsoft® Exchange Server 2010 SP1. Securely access and manage your communications—e-mail, voice mail, instant messaging, and more—from virtually any platform, Web-browser, or device.
• A powerful collaboration suite with Microsoft SharePoint® Foundation Services 2010. Enable your employees to access and share your business documents with exciting features and capabilities that help you collaborate securely online—no matter where you are.
• A rich platform to run your business applications. SBS 2011 Standard allows you to take advantage of the vast library of applications compatible with Windows Server 2008R2 technologies.
• A simple installation/migration path to limit your downtime. SBS 2011 Standard has been designed to simplify the experience of upgrading or installing a new server.
If you have limited IT resources but still need to run a large number of applications, you should consider using the Windows Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add On to complement your SBS 2011 Standard deployment. Because the Premium Add-on includes SQL Server 2008 R2 for Small Businesses, it offers a dedicated, highly effective data management solution to run those applications that require a centralized database and shared information among users. Also with the Premium Add-on you have access to technologies like Hyper-V or Remote Desktop Services that Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard provides.