ATLANTA, July 14, 2000 — Today at Fusion 2000, Microsoft Corp. announced beta availability of Microsoft® Small Business Server 2000, the third-generation version of its networking solution for small businesses and the evolving gateway to the small-business .NET services from the Microsoft bCentral™ small-business portal. With this reliable solution, technology providers can offer their small-business customers the tools they need to harness the power of the Internet, better serve and attract customers, and enhance employee productivity. In addition, as small businesses begin to utilize the Internet to define new ways to work, Small Business Server 2000 will provide technology providers with the acceleration tools to deliver Microsoft bCentral-based .NET services, bringing integration that allows the smallest of businesses to lead in the new economy. Small Business Server 2000 includes the Windows® 2000 Server operating system and the Windows 2000 generation of solutions for e-mail, fax, database and secure shared Internet connections.
“Small Business Server 2000 is the best way for small businesses to get Windows 2000 Server and the Windows 2000 generation of server applications that they are looking for,”
said Steve Ballmer, president and CEO of Microsoft.
“I am really proud of the great work we’ve done to deliver a comprehensive small-business networking solution and provide tools that facilitate a strong service relationship between small-business customers and their technology providers. Small Business Server 2000 is a true testament to the strategic importance we place on our technology provider partners.”
Many of the enhancements and innovations in Small Business Server 2000 were made as a result of collaboration with small-business technology providers. Feedback consistently indicated that technology providers needed two key things: the tools to run their business more effectively and efficiently, and the ability to provide their small-business customers with solutions that enable them to use secure, server-based networking to take advantage of the Internet, strengthen customer relationships and improve employee productivity. Small Business Server 2000 offers tools that deliver a predictable, integrated Windows 2000-based setup and the ability to provide proactive off-site support through its remote server management capabilities, rich server monitoring features, and improved alert-based reporting of critical server events. In addition, Small Business Server 2000 provides technology providers with a rich platform on which to integrate custom solutions or the multitude of ISV applications designed for Windows 2000, Microsoft SQL Server™
and Exchange Server to deliver the solutions their small-business customers need.
“We have worked closely with our technology provider community and have identified that what they want most is a stable and reliable solution that provides them with unlimited revenue potential,”
said Katy Hunter, Microsoft Small Business Server group product manager.
“With Small Business Server 2000, technology providers can offer tremendous value to their small-business customers by delivering a comprehensive networking solution and set new standards of customer service by using the new monitoring and remote support tools.”
Curt Hicks, president of Center for Computer Resources LLC in Berkley, Mich., said Small Business Server 2000 will revolutionize the way he and his clients do business.
“Microsoft definitely listened to us and has developed a networking solution with an advanced set of technology-provider-focused tools as well as the ability to help my customers increase productivity and level the playing field with large businesses,”
Hicks said.
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With Small Business Server 2000, I will be able to significantly increase my customer base and continue to deliver a high-quality, customized solution that meets and exceeds customers’ needs and expectations.
New features to support technology providers include the following:
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Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Server-based applications include Exchange 2000 Server, SQL Server 2000, Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2000 and the FrontPage® 2000 Web site creation and management tool.
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New shared fax service allows users to send faxes from their desktop through a multiple shared fax modem or interface. Administrators can configure calling times, priorities and manage the fax queue.
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One integrated setup installs and configures the operating system, all application components and service packs. The setup includes disk space, system compatibility and dependency checking. And administrators can easily deploy virtually any software application to Small Business Server-based client machines.
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Windows Terminal Services in remote administration mode gives administrators complete control of servers from their offices off-site. Technology providers can use Internet connections to perform maintenance and diagnose or fix problems remotely.
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Microsoft Management Console 1.2 offers a unified, customizable view of all administration tools, including Small Business Server-specific tools and the native administration tools of the component applications. Management is completely customizable, allowing for controlled system lockdown. Administrators can monitor appropriate management tools on a user-by-user basis; each user can have a management console tailored to his or her level of expertise.
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Improved server status reports allow administrators to receive regular snapshots of the server’s hardware condition, application health and system performance. Health Monitor 2.1 lets administrators view system performance metrics, set and modify thresholds to report server health, and configure alerts. Alerts and server status reports can be configured to be sent to the technology provider via e-mail or fax, paving the way for maintenance agreements and high-quality, proactive customer service.
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Secure, shared Internet connection with caching is a great way for technology providers to help their customers connect to the Internet and meet their demand for a high level of security and performance from their Internet connections.
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Web site design and maintenance is a key service technology that providers can bring to their customers. Technology providers can now build their customers’ sites with FrontPage 2000, set up the staging server on Internet Information Services (IIS) and integrate it with the bCentral Site Manager service. In addition, with the remote terminal connection capabilities of Small Business Server 2000, technology providers can regularly maintain and make required modifications at any time.
Availability
Small Business Server 2000 is scheduled to be available in fall 2000. The Small Business Server 2000 Channel Readiness Kit, available now for technology providers, includes the beta version of Small Business Server 2000 as well as evaluation and technical resources. The Small Business Server 2000 Channel Readiness Kit is available at the Microsoft Fusion and Direct Access summer and fall events. Customers who aquire Small Business Server 4.5 now will receive a free* upgrade to Small Business Server 2000. For more information on small business servers, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/sbserver/ .
About Fusion
Created in 1997, Fusion was originally targeted to MCSPs. This year it has been expanded to include key ISVs, ASPs, integrators and resellers, making it the largest worldwide gathering of Microsoft certified partners. Microsoft created this annual event to bring together partners from around the world to increase business opportunities and deliver innovative new ways to bring value to customers.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
* Shipping and handling fees will apply. See qualification details at http://www.microsoft.com/sbserver/ .
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