Small Business Server Support

Microsoft has withdrawn Small Business Server. However, many installations will require support for years to come. Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) is an integrated suite of server applications ideal for small businesses. It provides active directory, file storage, network printing, email, firewall, remote working and database functionality on a single server. SBS met the IT requirements of many businesses with a maximum of 80 employees. Atomik.biz will continue to support existing SBS installations for as long as required.

There are three versions still in everyday use. SBS 2003 is no longer in support. Some companies are still using this as it still works but has an increasing number of problems. There have not been any security updates since July 14th 2015, so it is increasingly vulnerable to online threats. It is also incompatible with the latest versions of Outlook, which is a big problem as new computers are added, or Microsoft Office is updated. Outlook 2013 and later will not work with SBS 2003. There are increasing issues with browsers and security certificates. Companies wishing to add other technologies like credit card machines will likely have problems. Existing installations of SBS 2003 need to be upgraded to another solution urgently to maintain functionality and security.

SBS 2008 was the next version and is still used by some companies. It allows in-house email, so it avoids the monthly costs of Cloud-based services. It was “end of life” on January 14th 2020, but realistically it will be retained after that time by many companies. SBS 2008 will not work with Outlook 2016 or later.

SBS 2011 was the last version but will probably remain in use for some years to come. Outlook versions up to 2016 are supported.