WHS and SBS
Windows Home Server (WHS) and Windows Small Business Server (SBS) are both built in the same organization at Microsoft, the Windows Server Solutions Group (WSSG) - two new 3 letter acronyms and one new 4 letter acronym for everybody to add to their knowledge banks. We often get asked how are these 2 products different and also what do they have in common?
Both products are based on the proven technologies of Windows Server 2003, and both are targeted to meet the specific needs of a specific market segment. Windows Home Server is targeted at consumers with a broadband connection and multiple PCs, and Windows Small Business Server is designed to meet the needs of a small business with up to 75 employees. Windows Home Server will support up to 10 users, plus a Guest account.
Windows Small Business Server Standard Edition comes with Microsoft Exchange Server so that small businesses can have their own on-premise e-mail server. On the other hand, Windows Home Server will not come with any e-mail functionality. I know several people that use Windows Small Business Server in their homes, with some people hosting an e-mail service for all of their family members and close friends.
The prices will be different. As you can expect Windows Home Server will cost less than Windows Small Business Server. I am sorry that I can't say any more about the expected price of Windows Home Server for awhile, but when I can ... there will surely be a blog post.
Windows Small Business Server comes into 2 different editions, Standard and Premium, and you can read about all the features and differences at https://www.microsoft.com/sbs. Windows Home Server will initially only have a single edition, so we will just call the first version - Windows Home Server. I suggest that you all go read about SBS, as it is a cool product that more people should know about.
t.
Comments
Anonymous
January 01, 2003
I'm glad to hear that the WHS folks are aware of people running SBS at 'home'. I run my office from home and use SBS 2003. I'm in the process of putting my WHS together (a seemless install, well done!) and would like to access my files and desktop PC when I'm out of the office. I could do this via VPN with SBS, but would WHS be an easier option? As in, easier to set up? Getting access to WHS from the internet through ISA Server would seem to be, err, problematic (as I am no ISA server expert). Are there any docs planned on how to go about setting up SBS/ISA server to access WHS over the internet? Great job on WHS so far. I'll be buying one when it comes out, for sure.Anonymous
January 01, 2003
I agree that SBS is overkill for most home networks, however a easier WSUS and Sharepoint v3 (which are both free products) would be nice additions if integrated. I initially wanted Exchange, but the admin overhead would be too much for most home users. Many have commented on all of the online services available for mail and calendaring, but I for one am not trusting enough to put everything online.Anonymous
January 01, 2003
I too run SBS at home, but frankly it's overkill for me. WHS would probably fill the bill except for one thing that we've already discussed into the ground. But, having said that, I like WHS. I've had it running for a few days now, off and on, and have had no major issues. (No minor ones that I can think of, once I got it installed.) I'm assuming the timetable has this releasing before or just after Longhorn Server, and that a version based on that will be forthcoming at the same time as the Longhorn based SBS? TowerDave