Friday, October 31, 2008

EBS Team Blog

If you are looking for a more technical content on EBS, please visit the EBS Team blog where EBS program managers and developers post more technical updates and news to EBS.

Administration Console effecting your bottom line

The Administration Console provides the IT Professional a unified view of the network and its status to more efficiently manage the IT infrastructure and focus on core business activities, e.g. such as line of business applications (ERP/CRM/etc.).

“We do a lot less logging into systems and client-side visits. We’ve reduced this effort by 70 percent, which is a huge savings. Instead of three people covering this, we’ve reduced it to two people.” - Sumeeth Evans, Director of IT, Collegiate Housing Services

“Our administrative workload is one-tenth of what it was before. This is the largest step forward, in terms of our ability to focus on real business needs, that we have ever seen.” - Sumeeth Evans, Director of IT, Collegiate Housing Services

Thursday, October 30, 2008

EBS business value in today's economic times

In today's economic times, investing in your IT infrastructure can help you keep your competitive edge, increase productivity, and reduce total cost of ownwership of your IT infrastructure, hence decrease your fixed costs. Yesterday I kicked off publishing business value evidence from Windows EBS customers. I will be publishing more business value posts and evidence as the official EBS launch on November 12th approaches.

“Just the upfront cost savings from Windows Essential Business Server are significant. The combined licenses will help us reduce our license cost by 30 percent – down from $40,000 to $28,000.”
- Paul Champane, IT Manager, Air Botswana

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Streamlined Deployment

“Deploying Windows Essential Business Server not only results in an infrastructure that has best practices built in, but also an infrastructure that is very well documented.”
Paul Champane, IT Manager, Air Botswana

Air Botswana is the national airline with 160 users.

“Windows Essential Business Server is the best solution to our problems, and it fits a business of our size well.”
– Paul Champane, IT Manager, Air Botswana

Lee Company is a US midsize business with 550 emplyees using 225 devices. Lee Company is also a Microsoft Dynamics SL customer.

“We couldn’t have tackled these new projects without first freeing our IT staff and implementing a more sophisticated, easily managed technology infrastructure.”
- Tom Goddard, Director of Information Technology, Lee Company

“We knew we needed to upgrade out messaging infrastructure, our server operating system, our connectivity, and our remote services. Windows Essential Business Server not only brings all of that together in one efficient package, but it allowed us to accomplish our infrastructure upgrade at least three months faster than if we had to upgrade all the components individually.”
- Tom Goddard, Director of Information Technology, Lee Company

Monday, October 27, 2008

Virtualize EBS with the free Hyper-V stand alone version

Microsoft offers free Hyper-V stand-alone version

Virtualize EBS with the FREE Hyper-V stand-alone version.
Now that Microsoft Hyper-V Server has been released and is freely available on the web, let’s remove the DRM and recap exactly what Microsoft Hyper-V Server is. There is still some confusion out there so let’s recap.

Don’t be confused, Microsoft Hyper-V Server and Windows Server 2008 w/ Hyper-V are separate products. The final version of Hyper-V as part of Windows Server 2008 was released a few months back. However, Microsoft Hyper-V Server was just released to web yesterday.

The following is a consolidated overview of Microsoft Hyper-V Server that was originally included in a series of announcements.

Microsoft Hyper-V Server Overview
Microsoft Hyper-V Server is a bare metal virtualization platform that includes the same Hyper-V virtualization Technology that is included in Windows Server 2008. However, Microsoft Hyper-V Server is not branded Windows. It’s official name is Microsoft Hyper-V Server.
Though Microsoft Hyper-V Server is not a Windows product, it does share some things in common with Windows Server 2008 with the Hyper-V role enabled including a common kernel, Windows drivers, and the Windows update mechanism.

Winwdows EBS Deisgned for Midsize Businesses



Designed for midsize businesses
Windows Essential Business Server 2008 takes the guesswork
out of selecting software for your network. EBS 2008
brings together the Microsoft product technologies that
midsized businesses need most into a single solution with
additional features and capabilities unique to EBS 2008.
These technologies are integrated into one product making
EBS 2008 easy for you to install and manage.
Designed with best practices and industry standards,
Windows Essential Business Server 2008 simplifies your
IT environment and reduces the complexity of implementing
and managing disparate software applications.

Can you relate to this common midsize business IT infrastructure?

“We knew we needed to upgrade out messaging infrastructure, our server operating system, our connectivity, and our remote services.”
Tom Goddard, Director of Information Technology, Lee Company

Different Components:
●Email Servers
●Exchange 2000, 2003, 2007
●SMTP Servers
●Name Servers
●DNS
●AD 2000, 2003, 2008
●Firewalls
●ISA 2003, 2006
●Cisco PIX, Sonicwall
●OS, Print & Share
●Windows Server® 2000, 2003, 2008
●Others

Today’s Challenge
●Rolling out Microsoft Dynamics CRM or ERP to your organization requires modifications to your existing infrastructure
●Existing environment has different versions of IT component prerequisites
●Achieving interoperability between new IT components require integration and time
●Deployment costs increase due to the requirements of new IT components and their licenses

In today's ecomonic challenges, businesses need to remain competitive, differentitate from their competition and reduce total costs. Investing in line of businees (LOB) solutions such as CRM, BI and ERP (Microsoft Dynamics) can result in increased to gain a competitive edge and support future growth. Midsize businesses need to reduce their total cost of ownership of their IT infrastructure to re-allocate that budget to LOB sollutions, services or just simply reduce the fixed costs such as IT.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Security subscriptions for EBS

http://www.microsoft.com/ebs/en/us/subscription.aspx

Windows Essential Business Server 2008 includes one-year trial subscriptions for Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server and Forefront Threat Management Gateway, Medium Business Edition.
As these trials end, find out how you can renew your subscriptions.

Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server
Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server includes multiple scan engines from industry-leading security firms integrated into a single solution to help businesses protect their Exchange Server messaging environments from viruses, worms, and spam.
Estimated price per subscription*
US$15.00 per user, per year
Customers can license Forefront Security for Exchange Server as part of the following Microsoft licensing programs:
Open Value
Open Value Subscriptions

Forefront Threat Management Gateway, Medium Business Edition
Forefront Threat Management Gateway Medium Business Edition, a critical security component of Windows Essential Business Server, is a comprehensive and integrated Edge security gateway that provides protection from multiple Internet-based threats, secure connectivity, and simplified management for small to medium-size organizations.
Estimated price per subscription*
US$8.00 per user, per year
To renew, contact your Microsoft Partner or Microsoft Small Business Specialist.
Customers can license Forefront Threat Management Gateway, Medium Business Edition as part of the following Microsoft licensing programs:
Open Value
Open Value Subscriptions

To renew, contact your Microsoft Partner or Microsoft Small Business Specialist.

* All prices reflect estimated retail pricing for license purchases within the United States and are in U.S. dollars. Pricing and licensing information is provided here for planning purposes only, and is subject to change. Reseller is responsible for setting prices.

Security in EBS

Not only does EBS include Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server and edge security (firewall) with Threat Management Gateway, Medium Business Edition, but EBS includes the security from Windows Server 2008 technologies.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Windows EBS Experts from HQ will be at Tech-Ed IT Pro in Barcelona

EBS experts from Microsoft Headquarters will be at Tech-Ed IT Pro in Barcelona, 3-7NOV08.

The following HQ representatives will be there:
Gary Purchase, EBS Dev Lead
Nick King, SBS & EBS Technical Product Manager
Chris Grillone (me), EBS Product Manager

There are two EBS sessions:
  1. Windows Essential Server Solutions
    Windows Essential Server Solutions is a new product family created to develop targeted solutions for Small and Midsize businesses. Come and hear several scenarios explained in this interactive session. We'll be covering topics from Virtualization to Branch Office deployments as well as migration techniques.
  2. Windows Essential Business Server 2008 deep-dive
    An in-depth look at the new Windows Essential Business Server 2008. Designed for Mid-size organizations of under 300 seats. We'll look at the new three and four server set-up in the Standard and Premium editions, go deep into the management console and demonstrate how to migrate to EBS 2008 from existing networks.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with EBS

Lower your TCO with Hyper-V, a Windows Server 2008 Technology, which is included in EBS 2008. Our TAP customer to be featured during our upcoming launch virtualized EBS. We will be releasing a written case study and a video which will both include virtualization.

Please learn more about how you can help the environment, while lowering your TCO with Windows Server 2008.
Video
White Paper

Microsoft's Environmental site.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Live Webcast and Virtual Launch Event


Register here to view the live webcast and enter a virtual launch event for the launch of Windows Essential Business Server (EBS) at 8:00 AM PST (Los Angeles Time Zone) on November 12, 2008. Give yourself a few minutes to register.

The live webcast will feature a midsize EBS customer and the following Microsoft Executives:
  1. Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corp.

  2. Steve Guggenheimer, Corporate VP, Original Equipment Manufacturer Division

  3. Michael Risse, VP, Worldwide Small and Midmarket Business Group

  4. Steven VanRoekel, Sr. Director, Windows Server Solutions Group
The virtual launch event will also include:
  1. Mark Minasi, Best-selling author, MVP, and self-proclaimed alpha-geek will present "7 Tips that IT can use During the Economic Downturn.”

  2. Business and Technical Sessions

  3. Channel Partner Session

  4. Exihibt hall with the following companies: AMD, CA, Citrix Systems, Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, SUN Microsystems, Inc., Symantec, Trend Micro, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Microsoft Windows Essential Server Solutions, and Microsoft Dynamics

You can view the live webcast at http://www.thedreamserver.com/ without registering, but you will not be able to enter the virtual launch event.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Win a free server solution (EBS or SBS)

EBS is part of the Windows Essential Server Solutions launch on November 12, 2008.

Learn how integrated server solutions are helping small and midsize business come out ahead in tough economic conditions. Attend the Windows Essential Server Solutions “Dream Server” launch webcast on November 12th. And, when you visit http://www.thedreamserver.com/ and enter your business dream, you become eligible to win either a Windows Small Business Server 2008 or Windows Essential Business Server 2008.



Thursday, October 16, 2008

Windows Essential Server Solutions – Chalktalk @ Tech*Ed EMEA IT Professionals

Tech*Ed EMEA IT Professionals Barcelona, Spain

Windows Essential Server Solutions – Chalktalk - Chris Grillone, Oliver Sommer, Mikael Nystrom, Robert Aide - Nov 6th 1440 – 1555

Windows Essential Server Solutions is a new product family created to develop targeted solutions for Small and Midsize businesses. Come and hear several Windows EBS scenarios explained in this interactive session. We'll be covering topics from Virtualization to Branch Office deployments as well as migration techniques.

Session notes: Oliver, Mikael and Robert will do 15 minutes each detailing their deployment scenarios and the choices they had to make to enable the customer with EBS.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

EBS customers virtualized and saved energy. Be Green!

Following the installation of EBS, an EBS customer realized significant and measurable energy savings by reducing their overal server count. I will release the energy saving of the closer to the EBS launch day, November 12th, 2008.

You can also virtualize with Hyper-V which is an included technology with EBS.

Lower your carbon footprint and save money!


EBS Supports Branch Offices

EBS does support Branch Offices by leveraging the Branch Office Infrastructure Solution. This uses the power of Windows Server 2008 and Forefront Threat Management Gateway in certain scenarios to provide branch office services.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Vituralize EBS with Hyper-V




Customers already virtualized EBS with Hyper-V. Hyper-V is built into EBS. Reduce your server count!

Learn more about three EBS vitualization scenarios here.