Introduction

When youre looking for a Windows Small Business Server its not often all that easy to figure out what you need to buy. This guide is to show the differences.

Versions

The current version of Windows Small Business Server is :-

Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

Editions

Small Business Server 2003 R2 Standard - This is the August 2006 update to the initial release of SBS 2003
Small Business Server 2003 R2 Premium - This is the August 2006 update to the initial release of SBS 2003 with more features

SBS 2003 R2 Standard contains, Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 2.0, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2 with 75GB size limit, Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 client software, Microsoft Windows Server Update Services and the Microsoft Shared Fax Software Service.

SBS 2003 R2 Premium contains all the above plus Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition, Microsoft Internet and Security Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004 and Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003

Both contain enhanced Cliet Access licences (pieces of paper which tell you what you can do with the software) SBS 2003 R2 CALs can access additional servers running Windows Server 2003, Exchange Server 2003 and SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition on the SBS 2003 R2 network.

OEM and Retail

OEM copies of Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 are designed to be provided with computer hardware - for example a server. They are not allowed to be sold without hardware. They are sometimes offered for sale on ebay but OEM software is to be avoided - sometimes it contains specific features like drivers for example for hardware from the manufacturer it was designed for, but even generic OEM software isnt going to be supported well.

I recommend Retail boxed copies of Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 as they have no specific manufacturer restriction and it will be clear from the sealed packaging that the product is genuine. These are the licenced copies you should look for, be they 'full product' or 'upgrade' products (where you have to have a product from a competitor or a previous version to qualify).

Other licencing is available but should be avoided unless you are an expert and qualify for the licence. Academic licences are only for qualifying institutions and teachers. Beta, demo and promotional software is specifically marked 'not for resale' and can't be sold on ebay. Volume licence software cant be resold on ebay either since it was licenced for a particular company with no right to resell Counterfeit software is obviously to be avoided.

Differences to Windows Server 2003 R2

The shared fax system is unique to SBS, Simplifed server management is unique to SBS. SBS has a sharepoint services 2.0 portal known as the "http://companyweb Web site". SBS auto installs Outlook 2003 and Shared Fax software and ActiveSync on its clients. SBS doesnt support trusted domains.