Microsoft on Wednesday introduced the Windows fundamental Server Solutions family of products, built on Windows Server 2008 and the newest Microsoft server technologies and services. The company plus unveiled details about the newly named Windows Small Business Server 2008.

“There are 31.9 million small businesses and 1.2 million midsize companies worldwide in need of forceful IT solutions, and they typically have very small IT staffs or none at all,” said Bob Kelly, a Microsoft vice president. “Windows fundamental Server Solutions manufacture the benefits of enterprise-class IT accessible, affordable and simpler for smaller organizations and their technology advisers.”

Blessings and Curses

The essential-solutions family includes Windows Small Business Server 2008 and Windows fundamental Business Server 2008. Microsoft said it conducted extensive research and gathered in-depth feedback worldwide to design these SMB-targeted solutions.

The products integrate the technologies of Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, and other Microsoft offerings into all-in-one solutions. That benefit is a blessing and a curse,

according to analysts.

One of the strengths and weaknesses of Microsoft products is that they tend to work best with other Microsoft products. That means that although Microsoft products are fairly seamless in unison, they don’t fit quite as well into pick-and-choose environments where CIOs choose products from various vendors, said Gordon Haff, a server analyst at Illuminata.

“Microsoft has consistently tried to put together integrated collections of products. The one problem is … that the company often constructs so many variants that it complexifies more than simplifies,” Haff said.

Microsoft’s Argument for Simplicity

Microsoft argues differently. The company said Windows Small Business Server 2008, previously known by the cipher name “Cougar,” helps multiply businesses by helping them protect info, expand productivity, integrate with Microsoft’s online services, and add safety measure.

Small Business Server 2008 is touted as a boon for IT managers and technology consultants. Setup and administration are…

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