Microsoft SBS Adds Value Via Services

To date, small-business networks have depended only on simple file- and print-sharing solutions to meet their needs, while more robust features,such as document management and team collaboration,have been beyond their financial and technical reach.

Microsoft Small Business Server 2003, however, stands to enrich small-business networks with innovative technologies once found only in enterprise solutions, the CRN Test Center found.

Launched last month, Microsoft SBS 2003 achieves that objective by integrating robust document and team management tools in the form of Microsoft's SharePoint Services. What's more, the server software product adds secure remote access, which further virtualizes the "work team" concept.

Previous Microsoft SBS versions proved to be quite adept at handling file and print sharing with a direct, intuitive interface. But solution providers will find that the addition of SharePoint services in the latest SBS product brings a whole new world of opportunity.

SharePoint leverages a Web-enabled, intranet-based capability that makes it easy to route documents and set up team folders, which are the basis of almost any virtual work group. All of that is accomplished practically out of the box,and at an economical price point. And by adding the Microsoft Office 2003 productivity suite to the mix, teamwork is further advanced through Office's newer capabilities, such those found in Outlook 2003 and Infopath.

Test Center engineers examined SBS 2003 bundled on a Hewlett-Packard server. Solution providers will find the Microsoft-HP bundle to be advantageous, since the initial setup of the product took less than 20 minutes, compared with the multihour installations typically seen in the past.

SBS 2003 comes in two versions. The Standard Edition ($599) combines Windows Server 2003, Exchange 2003, SharePoint Services and Microsoft Shared Fax Service into an easily managed, quickly deployed package. The Premium Edition ($1,499) adds SQL Server 2000, ISA Server 2000 and FrontPage 2003.

Aggressive hardware-bundling deals from leading server vendors should bring the overall cost of a new five-user SBS 2003 Standard Edition server to less than $1,500, while the reduction in administrative and setup chores will help to slash installation costs.

SharePoint's default setup is a good starting point for integrating teamwork functionality. The tools that are used to modify a SharePoint implementation also are available directly from the network's SharePoint page, which eases customization even further.

SharePoint's native browser-based interface is both attractive and intuitive. Users should be able to get quickly up to speed on how to access and add pieces of information to a team folder. Office 2003's native support of SharePoint, too, brings more to the equation, since users can access team folders directly from Excel, Word and other applications included in the Office suite.

SharePoint documents are contained in Document Libraries, which are controlled by user-defined columns, filters and views. The libraries are laid out in a two-pane format, with the left pane showing the contents of the library and the right pane showing information about the highlighted document.

All of the listed elements provide users with access to the appropriate actions, based on the user-defined rights. For example, when a user moves the pointer over a document, options such as Delete, Edit and Discuss appear. The Discuss option allows team workers to build a history of collaboration for a document. Users also will appreciate the ability to define alerts, which will e-mail notices about activities on a document to them.

Another key piece of the team-approach puzzle is remote access, where SBS 2003 has combined some well-known elements to ease connections for workers at remote sites or in the field.

Sites that deploy SBS 2003 and Windows XP will be able to offer remote users Remote Web Workplace, an option that's available directly from the SBS 2003 Web site. Remote Web Workplace provides the ability to access e-mail and access a Windows XP system on the network, as well as connect directly to the network to access files through a VPN.

Solution providers will find that with SBS 2003, Microsoft offers a solid platform for building teamwork-based solutions for small companies. The product also brings enterprise-like workflow capabilities to the small-business environment in an easy-to-deploy and easy-to-understand fashion.

 Published for the Week Of November 10, 2003