Windows Server 2012, the end of Windows Small Business Server Standard
Today Microsoft announced the Windows Server 2012 editions, they have simplified the licensing. There are coming dramatic changes and there will only be four editions, Datacenter, Standard, Essentials and Foundation. For more details see this post on the official site and the licensing datasheet.
There is also a FAQ with most common questions answered. Specific I would point to Q33 because this will sign the end of an era Windows Small Business Server.
Q33: Will there be a next version of Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard?
No. Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard, which includes Exchange Server and Windows server component products, will be the final such Windows Server offering. This change is in response to small business market trends and behavior. The small business computing trends are moving in the direction of cloud computing for applications and services such as email, online back-up and line-of-business tools.
The Small Business Server Essentials product introduced with version 2011 with a connection to Office 365 will be kept but renamed to Windows Server 2012 Essentials, so it also will lose the product name SBS. Here is the official announcement on the SBS Blog.
So as expected Microsoft is changing their complete focus with Windows Server 2012 to cloud optimized solutions and the Windows Small Server doesn’t fit in this picture anymore.
Tags: cloud, sbs 2011, windows 2012
Hi,
Microsoft SBS 2012 will be availabe later or it will be SBS 2013.
they always announce SBS STD and SBS Pre later then other servers.
was same with SBS 2k8 when Windows server 2008 STD came out.
Hi,
Maybe you didn’t read the FAQ well but there isn’t coming any SBS version anymore also not in 2013. Indeed with previous versions it came some time later but this time Microsoft clearly states there is a server 2012 essentials version but there will be no SBS standard anymore.
Hi again 🙂
Well, i am from Israel and we contact them cos alot of our custemers working with SBS STD and PRE version. and will like to upgrade to new version of STD/PRE of SBS.
we talked with Microsoft Israel and they told us to way and it will be available.
i will try contact them again and recheck:D
and yes i saw the the FAQ, its Q39 not Q33:)
if i wont comment again then it means that you are rigth.