Is it time to upgrade customers to SBS 2011 and Windows Server 2008 R2?

There are a lot of benefits to be had from upgrading to Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 and Windows Server 2008 R2 – both for end-user customers and for resellers.

For the customer, SBS 2011 will deliver enterprise-class security, improved deployment, migration and management capabilities and a scalable platform – an in one affordable, easy-to-manage solution.

Stepping up to Windows Server 2008 meanwhile makes a whole lot of sense because customers who are still on previous versions will get immediate advantages in the form of improved performance and efficiency, and more reliable and cost-effective for business workloads. With innovative features for virtualisation and to optimise applications performance and server utilisation, Windows Server 2008 R2 enhances efficiency and competitiveness – making businesses better-able to withstand the continuing challenges of the economic climate.

The server market is packed with profitable opportunities – the SMB server segment is worth $4.9bn per year, yet remains 75 percent untapped. Many customers simply don’t know about or understand the choice of Microsoft servers available to them or realise the range of powerful advantages a server will bring to their business.

One feature that’s almost certain to strike a chord with them is virtualisation. This is a route that many small firms are yet to take, so there is a big opportunity here too. For the many businesses that are naturally cautious about changing their IT infrastructure too much, virtualisation is still a big step to take. With their built-in virtualisation capabilities, SBS 2011 and Server 2008, gives customers the opportunity to dip their toes gently into the water before they dive all the way in. It’s a no-risk option – and you don’t have to ask them for huge additional up-front spending – they just have to step up to Windows 2008 R2 and SBS 2011.

Once they see the benefits of a streamlined IT infrastructure and the massive reductions in brings in capital spending for new servers and in management costs, they will embrace virtualisation with real enthusiasm.  That’s going to be good news for resellers since, it’s estimated that for every $1 spent virtualisation, around $13 is spent on additional infrastructure upgrades, software and services.

From a reseller’s point of view, there is little investment and additional training required. The new features and capabilities in SBS2011 and Windows 2008 R2 will be easy enough for technical staff to grasp. Implementation is pretty straight-forward too, so there are going to be opportunities to bill time for consultancy installation and upgrade work.

Microsoft and Computer 2000 are working together to help partners take messages around SBS2011 and Windows 2008 R2 to market. A whole range of marketing assets are available that will help resellers educate customers and identify the right solutions for their needs. We are running a social media campaign and a series of banner and print ads and you can also take advantage of special sales promotions and incentives throughout the month.

Also, any reseller buying OEM copies of SBS2011 or Windows Server 2008 from us in November will be entered into a draw to win £5,000 worth of free marketing support to help you sell the solutions into your customer base.

To find out more, resellers should visit http://www.rightwindowsserver.co.uk/, leave a comment below or get in touch with the Computer 2000 Software team.