Editions

Windows Small Business Server 2011
Standard

Designed and priced for small businesses with up to 75 users, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard (SBS 2011 Standard) delivers enterprise-class server technology in an affordable, all-in-one solution. SBS 2011 Standard helps protect your business information from loss by performing automatic daily backups. Additionally, it allows users to be more productive with features such as e-mail, Internet connectivity, internal websites, remote access, and file and printer sharing. 
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Windows Small Business Server 2011
Essentials

Ideal as a first server for small businesses with up to 25 users, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials provides a cost-effective and easy-to-use solution to help protect data, organize and access business information from virtually anywhere, support the applications needed to run a business, and quickly connect to online services for e-mail, collaboration and CRM. Learn More >

Windows Small Business Server 2011
Premium Add-on

Windows Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add-On gives small businesses a flexible and cost-effective solution for deploying additional servers on a network running Windows SBS 2011. It provides a platform for running line-of-business (LOB) applications that are based on the SQL Server operating system, role-based server deployments (such as additional domain controllers), and virtual servers that run in a Hyper-V environment. It also gives you the flexibility to access a second application platform when you need it, yet requires minimal IT resources. Designed as an add-on component for Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials or Standard, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add-On includes Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Technologies and SQL Server 2008 R2 for Small Business. Learn More >

Benefits

Today’s small business owners face daily challenges in running their businesses, and one of the more difficult challenges is managing an IT infrastructure; however, the primary focus for most business owners is on their core business competencies, not on becoming technology experts. Because investments in technology directly impact the bottom line, there is a constant need to achieve real business benefits and mitigate costs against a backdrop of time pressures and limited technical skills. To add to this pressure, many small businesses are now looking toward cloud services, and what they may offer. However, this can add even more complexity and apprehension in adopting new technology. The SBS product has always been about providing a core set of pre-configured functionality, straight out of the box. By pre-installing and configuring core windows features and application integration, it decreases the time for setup, and enables the business to start seeing benefit straight away. Even though it may seem SBS 2011 Standard and Essentials are quite different products, they are both built using the same set of SBS principles we have had for over 10 years. 

The SBS family provides an: 
  • Operating System Layer, in this case Windows Server 2008 R2 including most of the functionality this can provide
  • Effortless File and print sharing
  • Automated Backup capabilities
  • Identity Protection through Active Directory integration
  • Remote access for anywhere anytime access to files and applications.
  • And a Simplified Management wrapper using a pre-configured console for day to day management.

 Both Standard and Essentials build on this core functionality that the SBS family provides, and offer all these services to their customers. Where the products mainly differ from each other is that Standard provides on-site integrated support for Exchange, SharePoint and Windows Software Update Services – on-premise deployment, integration and management of core collaboration and security products. Whereas Essentials is focused on using the cloud to deliver these types of services, and provides an effortless connector, and amalgamation of cloud service management into a single dashboard. Both releases can also utilize the SBS 2011 Premium Add-on, providing a separate installation of Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard, and access to all the technologies this can provide (such as Hyper-V and RDS), plus SQL Server 2008 R2 for Small Business, a full installation of SBS 2008 R2 Standard for LOB support.