For starters, support contracts allow the reseller to perform routine network maintenance, such as adding user accounts and modifying permissions, as well as installing the latest patches. Through the Remote Web Workplace, support personnel can also deploy software to the server and customers. The Remote Web Workplace is browser-based, so support can happen from the next cubicle or from across the world. Virtually anything that is done from the server itself can be done through the Remote Web Workplace. Support personnel will also appreciate the performance and usage reports that are available at a glance.
Building customer Web applications is another area that resellers can take advantage of. With remote access to the server built into SBS, it is easy to create and maintain the customer's Web site. With SBS Premium Edition, SQL Server can provide a back-end database engine for an electronic storefront, and ISA can be configured to apply security policies to Internet traffic.
As a standard feature of Windows Server 2003, SharePoint Services allows companies to keep employees up-to-date on company issues, and provide a companywide calendaring solution, document libraries and discussion boards.
Simplified Installation
For our evaluation, we received an HP Server TC2120 with Small Business Server 2003 already configured on it. We simply had to identify specific network settings and we were ready to go. Microsoft has partnered with hardware vendors, such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard, to bundle Small Business Server 2003 with their server hardware, creating an "almost-turnkey" solution for small-business owners. Resellers can also create their own hardware/SBS bundles, allowing them to image preset configurations, thus reducing the amount of setup time for each of the servers. A preconfigured system setup took less than an hour to get up-and-running, including e-mail, corporate intranet and remote access.
After testing this preconfigured system, we wiped the drive and reinstalled from scratch. Using the integrated setup and configuration wizard, we were able to create a fully operational system in approximately one-and-one-half to two hours, with most of the time spent waiting while the installer copied files from the four installation CDs. While the installation is similar to Windows XP, Microsoft has included tools that help get the bundled package (i.e., the operating system and included server applications) configured quickly. For example, after installing all of the software, Small Business Server 2003 presents a configuration "To Do" list that guides the administrator through the necessary tasks to get the network services customized for that particular installation. We really got the sense that most of the setup time will be spent customizing for your client- and employee-facing components, rather than configuring systems to make sure they are working correctly. This allows business managers to focus on the creative and strategic aspects of their jobs rather than on the infrastructure mechanics.
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