In his keynote address at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2006, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the launch of Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 and unveiled new pricing details for the product. Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 is an advanced solution for productivity and security designed specifically to meet the needs of small-business owners, many of which do not currently have a server. It includes new features such as the “Green Check” of software health that helps customers protect their vital business data; keep networks, PCs and servers up to date; and stay connected virtually from anywhere, anytime — all leading to increased efficiency, cost savings and peace of mind.

Available for purchase starting in August, Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition will be available for an estimated retail price (ERP) of $599 and Premium Edition will be available for $1,299 ERP, over a 13 percent price reduction as compared with Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition. Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 will also be available pre-installed later this summer through original equipment manufacturers, including Dell Inc., Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Gateway Inc., HP and IBM, and will be available in 18 languages.

Built specifically to meet the needs of small businesses, Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 provides customers not only with enhanced security through the “Green Check” of software health and automated patch and update services for all Microsoft Update supported products in the network, but also improved flexibility with increased mailbox limits (from 16 to 75 GB) to allow for greater e-mail storage. With Exchange Server 2003 SP2 technology, SBS 2003 R2 customers can also take advantage of new mobility benefits after integration with Windows Mobile-based devices, such as direct push technology, which enables near real-time access to information in Microsoft Office Outlook, in addition to password policy management and remote device wipe to enhance protection of data. To help customers reduce costs and provide more room for growth, Microsoft is expanding Client Access License (CAL) rights, entitling SBS 2003 R2 (Standard or Premium) customers to access additional Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition servers in the SBS 2003 R2 network with the SBS CAL.

At this year’s Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft executives also spoke about rolling out an unprecedented offering of products to customers and their channel partners and powering a new generation of solutions designed to empower individuals within an organization through its People-Ready initiative.

Partners have a vital role in this wave, and Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 serves as a key foundation with which partners can save time and money and have the opportunity to attract new customers and deepen existing customer relationships by providing an integrated, affordable platform on which to build a profitable business through services and IT consultancy.

In conjunction with sales of SBS 2003 R2, VARs also have the opportunity to provide a wide range of value-added services to small-business owners who do not have in-house IT resources, such as maintenance, support, training, customizations, and the deployment of additional software and hardware, allowing VARs to develop lifelong customer relationships as trusted IT advisors while building an ongoing, predictable revenue stream. To enable partners to learn more about how to optimize additional business opportunities with SBS, Microsoft recently commissioned a series of studies through IDC titled “Paths to Opportunities With Windows Small Business Server 2003,” available online at https://partner.microsoft.com/IDCwhitepapers. Based on partner interviews conducted worldwide, these guides provide best practices and insights on ways to build a services-based business, create ongoing, predictable revenue streams, and illustrate to customers the benefits of working with SBS.

Microsoft is offering new tools and resources to assist partners in selling SBS 2003 R2 and serving their customers, including the Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 Small Business Technology Assessment Toolkit, a step- by-step guide based on Microsoft partner best practices, to help partners identify the business and technology needs of small-business owners and lay the groundwork for long-term relationships. The toolkit provides business and technical assessment guides, proposal and planning templates, and sales and marketing tools for SBS 2003 R2 and Microsoft small-business products.

In addition, Microsoft announced a special offer at the Worldwide Partner Conference, giving partners the opportunity to earn one free, for-resale copy of SBS 2003 R2 Standard Edition by submitting five business assessments to Microsoft between mid-August 2006 and June 30, 2007.