MS unveils Windows Home Server

Microsoft has rolled out a free beta version of the latest edition of Windows Home Server; code-named Vail, reports Cnet.

Windows Home Server provides file sharing, media streaming, network backups, remote access, and other server-type benefits to home and home office users.

Vail has a user-friendly setup to stream music and videos outside the home network via the Internet, provides easy backup and restores files on multiple PCs.

Coming out of the global recession, businesses are looking to virtualise the servers that they're buying, states eWeek.

According to IDC, more than 18% of all servers shipped in the fourth quarter of 2009 were virtualised, and virtualisation software licences jumped 13%.

Analysts claim businesses are seeing not only the immediate benefits of virtualisation, including cost savings and consolidation, but also understand that the technology is an important step as they continue to migrate toward cloud computing.

Unified e-mail management company Mimecast has released Mimecast Continuity Services for the BlackBerry Wireless Solution, says Market Watch.

The service enables enterprise IT managers to provide uninterrupted e-mail access to BlackBerry smartphone users in the event of a Microsoft Exchange outage, a BlackBerry Enterprise Server failure and Research in Motion infrastructure downtime.

Peter Bauer, founder and CEO of Mimecast, says: "Our own research recently revealed that just 36% of UK companies had a proper e-mail continuity strategy; despite 97% of written business communication being over e-mail.”