SBS 2011 RTMs

Yeah, I know.

I don’t care either. I don’t have much to say about it good or bad.

I think Microsoft signed the death certificate on this with it’s bravado – if you’re spending 90% of your R&D on the cloud, why should a small business invest in purchasing your on-premise OS? Sure there are plenty of reasons but should leave plenty of people uneasy about it.

Another point of interest – it feels a lot like EBS launch did. Most people don’t care, those that do think it’s awesome. It simplifies management and it’s a perfect fit for the organization that is looking just for it. We all remember how that movie ended.

However, there is something worth discussing here. Obviously, SBS XXXX will never quite die because Microsoft needs to give something to Dell and HP to sell on entry level servers – not because they particularly want to but because they don’t want to lose it to Linux.

So 3 years out – what is the best selling version of SBS 2011: Aurora/Essentials or Standard or Premium? Common sense out the window – if Microsoft is really “all in” on the cloud deal how does it change your projection?

P.S. I know it sounds like I’m beating a dead horse here and I feel bad writing this post and even mentioning Microsoft mobility in any way. Microsoft though does spend an ungodly amount of money on marketing and I hope this perspective offers another point of view before you base your business on something that Microsoft believes has 10% chance of survival in their future based on their commitment to all things cloudy – can’t have it both ways.