Are there cheaper alternatives to SBS?
There are no known products on the market which offer the same level of functionality as Small Business Server for a lower cost. There are many similar products out there based on the Linux operating system and the like, however we have found these to be incomparable in terms of features and integration with existing Microsoft products.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 is the core operating system behind SBS and it offers a wealth of advanced features unsurpassed by any other manufacturer. These include the industry standard 'Active Directory' on which your entire infrastructure is based from day one. There are automated software deployment mechanisms, remote access and VPN solutions, encryption technologies as well as the usual raft of core technologies such as file & printer sharing, data backup services, network monitoring tools and more. Just about every major business is built on Microsoft Server technologies and SBS ensures long-term scalability and compatibility with future systems.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2003
The Microsoft Exchange Server component of SBS is the e-mail server platform of choice. As a workhorse mail system it's job is to handle all internal and external e-mail and collaborative messaging. This includes shared calendars, user mailboxes, group mailboxes, tasks, appointments, meeting requests, public folders, notes, business contacts and more. On top of this, it provides everything you need to allow full remote working and access to your e-mail (through Outlook Web Access or Outlook Mobile Access) from literally anywhere with an internet connection. It's probably one of the most stable and functional e-mail platforms around, giving full scalability from one or two users to several hundred thousand. Since it's Microsoft based it fully integrates will all other Microsoft technologies and also ensures your system is future proof and compatible with external systems. We've worked with other mail systems - installed and configured properly, nothing compares with this product.

Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server is the de-facto database engine used by hundreds of thousands of businesses worldwide. It supports line-of-business applications and is fully scalable to support an almost unlimited number of simultaneous users.

Microsoft ISA Server
Microsoft ISA Server replaced Proxy Server some time ago whilst adding the extra functionality of a fully-fledged corporate firewall solution. ISA Server is now being widely recognised as one of the best firewall solutions available.

Can I install SBS myself?
Microsoft Small Business Server is advertised as an 'out of the box' solution, and indeed it can be installed in a single day by an IT literate person. However, if the solution is not implemented properly from day one you will have problems. Active Directory, DNS and other core network infrastructure components are critical to the successful operation of SBS and if these are not configured properly critical problems can arise. We have a standard tried-and-tested build of Small Business Server which we use for all of our customers - it's not expensive to get us to install the system for you and certainly much cheaper than having problems rectified further down the line.

Where do we go from here?
Eyetech Ltd are Microsoft Certified Partners and Microsoft Small Business Specialists and are fully qualified to sell, design, install, configure and support SBS-based environments. For a FREE quotation or demonstration please give us a call on 21315001 or drop us an e-mail: info@eyetechltd.com