Responsive Network Services LLC is an enthusiastic advocate of Microsoft’s Windows Small Business Server 2003 of our clients. For businesses which are installing a server for the first time, SBS 2003 brings a lot of power and flexibility for very little price.
Responsive’s small business computer consultants have installed SBS 2003 in offices throughout the Chicagoland area since Microsoft released the current version three years ago. SBS 2003 is such a complete package, that it’s in use for our own offices.
Small Business Server 2003 is based on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and comes in two different flavors: Standard Edition and Premium Edition. For most small businesses, the Standard Edition will suffice. Standard packages Windows Server 2003 along with Exchange Server 2003, Outlook 2003, Shared Fax Service and Windows SharePoint Services. The Premium Edition builds on the Standard Edition by adding Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition, Office FrontPage 2003, and Internet Security Acceleration Server 2004. Premium is primarily targeted to small companies who want to use software needing the SQL database system.
Most firms will take advantage the Windows Server 2003 component to centralize their data to maintain better data organization as well as more effective backup strategies. Another area where small businesses will see a great return on investment is the use of Exchange Server 2003 to manage email, contacts and shared calendars. With Outlook Web Access (part of Exchange Server 2003) users can access email, contacts and calendars from outside of the office via the internet with ease. These features make your enterprise more efficient and more effective.
The price is yet another real benefit of Windows Small Business Server 2003. While the list price for SBS 2003 Standard Edition is $599 with licensing for five users or devices, the Premium Edition lists at $1299 for the server plus five client access licenses. In a quick comparison, Windows Server 2003 alone lists for $999 and Exchange Server 2003 starts at $699. It’s clear that SBS 2003 is a tremendous value. However, it’s an even better deal when purchased with a server. Checking Dell’s website, as part of a server hardware purchase, the Standard Edition adds $374 to the purchase while the Premium Edition is just $974.
Responsive has installed and maintains Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 in Chicago and suburban offices such as design firms, construction companies, not-for-profit organizations, law firms, small manufacturers, real estate firms, retail operations, public relations firms, and more.
