This post was written by Jeff Johnston
Microsoft System Center Essentials 2007 provides a combination of tools that will certainly cover most of the things small businesses want to do. However, it’s not cheap and it’s Windows-only, with no support for Linux desktops or servers, for example. Handheld devices and virtual machines are also invisible to SCE 2007 — functionality is available, but only in separate System Center products. Still, it’s got a lot going for it and is well worth considering if integrated systems management is what you’re after.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP1 update can be downloaded free of charge. At 840MB it’s not small, but it can be used to install a fresh copy of Exchange as well as upgrade existing code. Its much-anticipated new feature is something called Standby Continuous Replication (SCR). Exchange Server 2007 SP1 fills in a lot of gaps. For example, POP3/IMAP4 server settings can now be configured from the Exchange Management Console just as before. Upgrading from an earlier version of Exchange can be problematic. The support forums are full of customers who have experienced problems.
Microsoft Corp. has introduced a subscription-based version of its Office software for U.S. consumers as competitors crowd its core desktop product suites. The new service, called Equipt, combines office tools such as its Microsoft Word word-processing program and the Excel spreadsheet application. A subscription, priced at about $70, lasts for one year and allows users to operate the software on three personal computers, Microsoft said.