Microsoft offers 60% discount on its new Messaging Server Bundle

Microsoft announced a Messaging Server Bundle aimed at offering small businesses the benefit of enterprise scale functionality at an affordable cost. The bundle includes Windows 2000 Server and Exchange 2000 Server, both with 5 Client Access Licenses, and Proxy Server 2.0 and will be available until 30 March 2001 with the purchase of an Open License from Microsoft authorised resellers.

"We have worked closely with small businesses and have identified that what they require most is a stable and reliable messaging and collaboration solution, offering low cost of ownership, that provides them with the same technology advantages enjoyed by large corporations with an unlimited revenue potential," says Desmond Nair, product marketing manager at Microsoft South Africa.

Nair continues that a messaging and collaboration system is a core part of a business` communications infrastructure and a central link to the Internet. "Collaboration is the foundation of knowledge management, and plays an increasingly important role in e-commerce, because it connects businesses with their customers and other businesses. Companies need messaging-based applications, such as workflow and information tracking to find new opportunities for growth while streamlining core operations," he says.

With the Messaging Sever Bundle, Microsoft is making the products available at an estimated 60% discount. "With the implementation of the bundle, customers will experience an enhancement of user productivity with the collaboration and workflow applications and they will also internet-enable their business by providing access to all staff, while minimising the security risk such access may bring," says Nair.

If you want to get more done in less time, you need an operating system that works all the time, explains Nair. "Windows 2000 Server is an easy-to-use operating system for working, browsing the Web and configuring your system. In addition, the operating system will save on your company`s operational costs as it provides an uptime in excess of 99.9 percent."

Tightly integrated with Windows 2000, Exchange 2000 Server provides small businesses with benefits from basic e-mail to value add functionalities such as calendaring, instant messaging and unified messaging. In addition to all the other enhancements, Exchange 2000 Server keeps deployment costs low through the integration of Windows 2000 Active Directory. This enables system administrators to create a single enterprise directory for managing both messaging and network resources.

Nair concludes that small businesses usually depend on their network to provide shared access to the Internet for all its users. Extending shared Internet access should be provided with care to avoid unwanted strangers accessing a company`s network. "Proxy Server 2.0 provides a high performance, secure gateway to the Internet. It connects to the Internet via a modem providing Internet connection for all the PCs without each using a separate dial-up connection. Proxy Server 2.0 also adds a level of security to the networking environment by providing a barrier between the Internet and the network," he adds.