Windows Server "Centro" has a New Name
I'm happy to announce that my product, after being called Windows Server code name "Centro" for over two years, finally has a name--Windows Essential Business Server!
Essential Business Server will be in Beta 2 in the next couple of months and as a daily dogfooder I have to say the code is coming along nicely.
I'll be at IT Forum in Barcelona, Spain next week so if you're in the neighborhood please stop by our booth, so I can chat you up and show you what Essential Business Server will do for Midsize Businesses.
I know I've been clandestine for quite a few months on exactly what is in Essential Business Server so I'm happy to finally reveal that today. As I'd mentioned in previous blogs, we've worked hard to combine our latest, greatest products into an integrated server infrastructure solution designed specifically for the unique needs of IT Administrators in Midsize Businesses.
There will be two versions: Standard and Premium. The Standard Edition includes Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, Forefront Security for Exchange Server, System Center Essentials, and ISA Server code name "Nitrogen". The Premium Edition includes everything in the Standard Edition plus SQL Server 2008. Essential Business Server will have a single Client Access License (user and/or device) for all included products and those CALs will be managed on the licensing tab/page in the Essential Business Server Administration Console.
Here are some functional highlights:
Integrated Security
- Many defense-in-depth multi-level security features with integrated security workloads
- Pre-configured and optimized protection from common threats
- Integrated and automated setup limiting vulnerabilities during and arising from installation
- Centralized security feature management with a consolidated view of your security state across your systems – integrating both Microsoft and third-party applications
- More automated patching and update processes make it easier for you to keep systems up
and running
Less Complexity, More Control 
- A centralized administration console enables you to proactively manage your customers’ IT
environment from a single location while leveraging the included product's consoles for advanced tasks - The integrated setup reduces installation steps to ~5 hours!
- A single server license and Client Access License for all included products greatly simplifies licensing
Predictable Platform, Designed for Midsize Businesses
- Architected for extensibility to easily “plug in” other applications
- Remote Web Workplace, an out-of-the-box feature, enables IT to easily set up secure
remote access - More efficient to manage, maintain, and control, and more affordable to own than
stand-alone products
We are on a path to ship Essential Business Server in the 2H of 2008.
You can read more about this announcement from our group's director at Microsoft PressPass. RSS this blog to learn when you can participate in our public beta. BTW, click on each images to see our sexy UI!
Cheers
