Month: October 2008

OK, this one is for all you SBS administrators who spend time making sure the workstations and servers are updated with critical updates and service packs. Perhaps you’re like me, and tried using WSUS 2.0 with SBS 2003, but were not thrilled with the work required to review and schedule updates. Or perhaps you tried WSUS 3.0 when it came out, but still weren’t sold on using it. Or maybe you tried cutting your teeth on the product, and finally gave up because of the lack of time. Well, the good news is that in SBS 2008 we have a much … Continue reading SBS2008 WOW Fact #4

SBS 2008, as you know, will only run on a 64 bit platform. But there’s more processor terminology out there than I can keep up with. We have Xeon, Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, Quad this, Quad that. Makes you wonder what happened to Core Single? And then you wonder if your system will support virtualization (Hyper-V in Microsoft’s world). If you have had to ask yourself whether a machine you are working on is capable of supporting SBS 2008, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Steve Gibson, from Gibson Research, has a great little tool caled SecurAble – it will tell you whether you computer … Continue reading Will my computer support SBS 2008?

So, you’re happy that OWA (WOW Fact #1) and RWW (WOW Fact #2) are improved in SBS 2008. But, now you’re wondering: Is there anything else in this release that will get my attention, or more importantly, my customer’s attention, or drive a new sale of SBS 2008? For me, one of the new WOW features in SBS 2008 is the ability to generate, purchase and install a third-party SSL certificate directly from the SBS 2008 console. With SBS 2003, installing a third-party cert was a series of manual steps, but with SBS 2008 it is all done inside a … Continue reading SBS2008 WOW Fact #3

One of the most requested “please, give us this feature” with SBS 2003 over the years was: can we control which workstations a user could access when they log in via Remote Web Workplace (RWW)? Well, your wait is over! From the SBS 2008 console you can easily select which computers each user should be allowed to access. Once a user logs into RWW, they simply select from their drop down list of workstations. And, if the user is only allowed to access a single workstation, then thre’s no drop down list. They simply click and go to their designated workstation. Click here for Nicholas King’s overview on RWW … Continue reading SBS2008 WOW Fact #2

I’m sure everyone will have (or should have) their own list of things that they really like about SBS2008. Consultants will find things that benefit a sale or installation, whereas an IT professional or an office person using SBS every day will find other things that are attractive to them. My list of SBS 2008 WOW factors tend to be right down the middle … some have the end user in mind, while others will have either the IT administrator or consultant in mind. With each WOW factor, I will also point out things that are lacking or missing. Perhaps some of these items can make it … Continue reading SBS2008 Wow Fact #1

Microsoft has two eBooks (PDF format) that are available for download: Build A Website That SellsTake, Manage, and Grow Your Business OnlineMicrosoft Office Live Small Business and Entrepreneur Magazine are committed to helping entrepreneurs start and nurture their businesses by providing solutions that can be put into action immediately. Get your free copy of “Build A Website That Sells: 10 Easy Ways to Grow Your Website.” This 54-page downloadable e-book in PDF format includes tips, techniques, and tools to help you design an effective and engaging Web site. Microsoft OfficeLive Small BusinessMicrosoft Office Live Small Business services basically is a set … Continue reading Microsoft OfficeLive eBooks

I arrived home last night at 9pm after attending a week long in-depth training session on the new Windows SBS 2008 Server platform. My interest level in SBS 2008 might have been described as lukewarm, at best, prior to this week. But now I can’t wait to get some customers on board with this latest version of SBS. As I write this post, I’m thinking of the scene in The Music Man, where all the town folk are lined up along the side of the street in anticipation of the Wells Fargo Wagon arriving bringing the brand new band instruments. And … Continue reading SBS2008 – Get on the Bandwagon!

Two great friends and fellow MVP’s – Amy Babinchak and Eriq Neale – have combined forces to start ThirdTier, a new business venture providing support to the IT professionals in the SMB marketplace. Here is their press release: Eriq Neale and I have launched a new company today. It’s called Third Tier. The company formalizes the remote support services that we have both been offering from some time. We will be adding subject matter experts to cover a wide variety of software in use today at the SMB.     Support Services for IT Professionals   Press Release Contact: Amy Babinchak Phone: (248) … Continue reading ThirdTier Press Release