Which Solution Is Right for You?

Our business projections estimate our company will have 300 or fewer users over the next two to three years.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 supports up to 75 simultaneous user or device connections. Microsoft recommends that organizations projecting the need for more than 75 simultaneous user connections over a two- to three-year period strongly consider moving to Windows Essential Business Server 2008.

Windows Essential Business Server 2008 supports up to 300 simultaneous user or device connections. Microsoft recommends that organizations projecting the need for more than 300 simultaneous user connections over a two to three-year period strongly consider moving to Windows Server 2008 with additional Windows server solutions.

Our business is growing rapidly, and our IT needs are expanding. We cannot accurately determine our future requirements.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 provide an “infrastructure foundation.” As your business grows, additional Windows servers may be added at any time—whether an additional Active Directory Domain Controller, Microsoft Exchange Server, or other Windows server solution. Microsoft will provide a seamless migration path between products—or from either product to full line of Windows server products.

We are a relatively small company and do not have a dedicated IT person. We need to be comfortable managing our computers and application software on our own.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 was designed specifically for organizations with limited in-house IT skills. A streamlined installation experience, coupled with intuitive configuration wizards, simplifies the day-to-day management of your network.

Not recommended.

Our company relies on a partner—or managed service provider—to administer our infrastructure and provide IT advice.

Both Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008
include tools that ease the management process—whether onsite or offsite. Partners can receive daily reports offering insight into the overall health and security of your network. Remote administration tools allow partners to proactively manage your network remotely and to respond quickly if the need arises.

Our network is relatively simple. We have a single location with several employees and just a few home office users.

Both Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 include Remote Web Workplace—a dynamically updated Web site that provides a single, simple, and secure entry point into your network. Employees can remotely access business information—such as e-mail, shared folders, and files—or they can remotely connect to their desktop computers at the office.

Our network is complex; we have numerous branch office locations, many authentication and e-mail repositories, and need to create and manage domain trust relationships.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 are respectively designed for networks with low to moderate complexity. When network infrastructure requirements become more complex, Microsoft recommends that customers look to Windows Server 2008 combined with other Microsoft Server solutions to meet their infrastructure needs.

Employees should be able to connect to the network securely from outside the office.

In addition to Remote Web Workplace, both Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 include native Virtual Private Network (VPN) support.

E-mail is mission-critical to our business. We want to ensure continued operations if our broadband connection or e-mail server goes down.

Both Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 include Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Standard Edition—an industry-leading messaging and collaboration solution. To ensure that e-mail flow persists on the Internet even if your broadband connection fails, you may consider adding supplementary solutions to Exchange Server 2007, like Microsoft Exchange Hosted Services or other third-party tools. To protect against hardware failure, you may consider deploying an extra Windows Server 2008 server with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

We are interested in fault tolerance for core infrastructure services like Active Directory and Domain Name Service (DNS).

Fault tolerance is not a core element in Windows Small Business Server 2008. Adding supplementary Windows servers can provide failover for these core infrastructure services.

Windows Essential Business Server 2008 provides two Active Directory domain controllers and two DNS servers for fault tolerance.

We want to ensure our Windows-based operating systems are protected by automatically deploying Microsoft security updates on our network

Both Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 include Windows Server Update Services 3.0 (WSUS), an update management tool for deploying the latest Microsoft product updates to computers running the Windows operating system. With WSUS, you can fully manage the delivery of updates released through Microsoft Update to computers on your network. WSUS integrates with the administration console of both products to alert you when desktops or servers are not fully updated.

Protecting our servers and desktops from viruses, spyware, and other security threats is critical to our business.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 integrates with Windows Live OneCare, an always-on PC-care service from Microsoft. Windows Small Business Server 2008 includes a 120-day trial version of Windows Live OneCare for Server. For desktops, customers should add additional Windows Live OneCare subscriptions.

Windows Essential Business Server 2008 does not directly provide antivirus or antispyware tools for servers or desktop operating systems. Customers can easily add protection technologies—such as Microsoft Forefront Client Security or other third-party software—to the solution.

We need a robust e-mail security solution to shield our business from e-mail–borne viruses and spam.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 include Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server. Forefront Security for Exchange Server incorporates multiple industry-leading antivirus engines offering layered protection against the latest e-mail based threats, including viruses, worms, and spam.

We need a network firewall to protect our corporate resources and control how our employees use the Internet.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 requires a separate network firewall product for Internet protection. It supports hardware-based firewalls and software-based firewalls, such as Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway. Windows Small Business Server 2008 can automatically configure most firewall products to help protect your network resources.

Both the Standard and the Premium Editions of Windows Essential Business Server 2008 include Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway, an enterprise-class firewall. With Forefront Threat Management Gateway, you can protect internal network resources, publish services to the Internet, and control how your employees use the Internet.

Our business holds many trade secrets. We want to ensure that only authorized users have access to that information.

To ensure business data is protected from unauthorized use, both Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 include Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS). With AD RMS, you can safeguard digital information from unauthorized use—online, offline, internally, or externally—through persistent usage policies. These policies remain with the information—whether documents, spreadsheets, presentations, or e-mail messages—no matter where it goes or how it is stored.

Employees should be able to connect to the network securely from outside the office.

In addition to Remote Web Workplace, both Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 include native Virtual Private Network (VPN) support.

We use a business-critical application that requires a database.

Database support not included.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium includes a second copy of Windows Server 2008, as well as Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard.

Database support not included.

Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Premium includes a fourth copy of Windows Server 2008, as well as Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard.

We want an intranet site for document management and so that team members can collaborate on various projects.

When Windows Small Business Server 2008 is deployed, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 is automatically installed and configured. Easy-to-use templates are provided for customizing your SharePoint sites.

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 requires a freely available add-on for Windows Essential Business Server 2008.

Our company needs a Web site, but we do not want to host it internally. We want simple tools for managing the Web site and publishing it to the Internet.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 includes the Internet Domain Management Wizard. This wizard helps you sign up for a domain name and manages that domain on the Internet. In addition, Windows Small Business Server 2008 integrates with Microsoft Office Live where you can design and host a Web site for free.

Not available.