Sean Wallbridge
Read an article on The Reg tonight (here) that describes Microsoft’s new Server 2012 licensing model. They have slimmed down the licensing model big time and it appears that SBS and Windows Home Server (WHS) have bit the dust. There is an “Essentials” license that looks very similar to the current SBS 2011 Essentials license but SBS, as we know it, is gone.
I suppose it all makes sense as the big selling point for SBS – Exchange and SharePoint – is now out there in Office 365. Essentials (both the current version and the 2012 version) link up with 365 and, let’s face it, wouldn’t you really rather let someone like Microsoft have the “headache” of managing and backing up Exchange and SharePoint? That said, I have to admit that I am saddened at seeing my old friend SBS shuffling off this mortal coil as we had some good times over the past 12 years.
It is going to be very interesting to see how the market reacts to this news as there are lots of companies out there that have built a big practice around SBS. 2012 (and beyond) is shaping up to be very interesting!