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SBS 4.5 Targets More Small Businesses

The beta version of Small Business Server 4.5 adds 25 more seats (now up to 50), opening up the market to more small businesses. And it's practically free to SBS 4.0 users.

Perhaps Microsoft should call the latest version "Medium Business Server?" At least that's what the company seems to be targeting with Small Business Server 4.5, currently in beta. Microsoft has increased the number of workstations supported from 25 to 50, effectively opening up SBS to more businesses. According to Harry Brelsford, a consultant at Bellevue, Wash.-based CN Consulting (and contributor editor to MCP Magazine), the increase makes SBS 4.5 a more viable option: "[The] seat limit increase expands my potential client base from 800 clients to 1,500 clients, based on the client list of my parent company, Clark Nuber PS." One of the company's largest SBS clients is a not-for-profit company, who Harry says will likely benefit from the lower purchasing and administration costs.

SBS 4.5 beta comes with NT 4.0 and NT 4.0 Service Pack 4, Exchange Server 5.5, SQL Server 7.0, and Proxy Server 2.0. On top of the increase in seats, Microsoft claims that the beta version provides more control of system setup, better network management capabilities, and full Y2K compliance. Price will be set closer to actual release.

Current SBS 4.0 customers can get the free beta from Microsoft's Web site by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/directaccess/sbsbeta/.

Harry Brelsford covered Small Business Server 4.0 in May 1998 (the online edition is available only to Resource Central members).

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