There are approximately 1.2 million midsized businesses in the world and their IT needs are unique. Midsized businesses are typically short on IT staff and resources. But in order to maintain growth, they require the same powerful technology solutions used by large companies. To address this need, Microsoft is developing an integrated IT solution for midsized organizations, previously known by the codename “Centro.” Today Microsoft unveiled the product’s official name, “Windows Essential Business Server,” and announced its key components and features, as well as an initial set of industry partners planning to support the new solution. Next week at TechEd: IT Forum in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft will be demonstrating Windows Essential Business Server.
PressPass: What are you announcing today?
VanRoekel: Today we gave Windows Server codename “Centro” an official name: Windows Essential Business Server. We are also communicating the key features and technologies customers will find in Windows Essential Business Server to increase the manageability and reliability of their IT systems, and to help them boost businesses productivity and growth.
In addition, we are announcing that hardware partners, including HP, IBM and Intel, will support Windows Essential Business Server, and that software partners such as Citrix, CA, CommVault, Trend Micro, FullArmor, McAffee, Quest and Symantec plan to provide ”Add-In” solutions for Windows Essential Business Server to enhance the product’s benefits.
PressPass: What exactly is Windows Essential Business Server?
VanRoekel: Windows Essential Business Server is an integrated server infrastructure solution designed for the unique needs of midsized organizations. Windows Essential Business Server combines the technologies of Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, Forefront Security for Exchange, System Center Essentials, the next version of ISA Server and SQL Server 2008 into an “all-in-one” solution.
With Windows Essential Business Server, IT professionals will find that the acquisition, setup, and ongoing management of IT is vastly simplified. It provides a unified console for management of key IT workloads, it is pre-configured with a tremendous amount of built-in best practices, and it will be licensed – with a Standard and Premium Edition – in a way that makes IT budgeting and purchase simpler and more predictable.
In addition, Windows Essential Business Server provides a single Client Access License for all included products and offers new technologies which simplify license management. Within the administration console, IT professionals can easily ascertain how many licenses they have, who the licenses are assigned to and – when an employee leaves the company – easily re-assign licenses.
We have extensively researched the needs of IT professionals in mid-sized organizations through studies and surveys, and talked with them directly through hundreds of customer visits, focus groups, and meetings with customer and partner advisory boards.