SPLA – Hosting Partner Community Calls

We received an e-mail from Microsoft Hosting:

We are going to do our best to get in on the Quarterly Licensing Brief call as we have a number of SPLA and SPUR related concerns that we need to express.

• Microsoft Hosting: Quarterly Licensing Brief on March 17th at 9:00am-10:00am PST.

We will also try to get in on the April 21 Hosting Community Call to see if we can express some of our licensing structure concerns there as well.

• Microsoft Hosting: Hosting Community Call April 21 at 0900Hrs PST Pre-Registration.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

SPLA – Build A Custom SPUR

We are working on some changes to our hosting setup so are in the process of working our way through the Services Provider Use Rights document (SPUR).

Microsoft now has a site much like the Microsoft License Advisor site for those of us that have signed the SPLA:

• Microsoft Custom SPUR Site.

We can choose a specific licensing model and generate a Word document that will have the specified product’s terms and conditions available to us.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Licensing SBS 2011 And The Second Server Under SPLA

With the change in the product structure for SBS 2011 we have seen the way we license SBS under our Service Providers Licensing Agreement change as well.

With SBS 2008 we had a SKU for SBS 2008 Standard and SBS 2008 Premium as per the product’s structure.

With the advent of the SBS 2011 Premium Add-on things have changed both in the way things are licensed and the costs for products licensed.

• T72-01694: SBS 2011 Standard SAL
• Per user licensing for SBS 2011 Standard.
• 2XG-00481: SBS 2011 Premium Add-on SAL
• Per user licensing for the Premium Add-on
• P73-03408: Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard SAL
• Per user licensing for Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard
• 6WC-00002: Windows Remote Desktop Services SAL (RDS access)
• For users accessing desktop OS VMs via RDP and SBS 2011 RD Gateway.
• For users accessing a Remote Desktop Services on the hosted SBS network.

If our hosted client has no need for SQL then we will be licensing both SBS 2011 Standard and Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard.

For example, customers that only utilize Microsoft Office via RD RemoteApps would be licensed in this manner.

In relationship to the cost difference between the SBS 2008 Standard SKU and the SBS 2008 Premium SKU, the SBS 2011 Premium Add-on SKU is _a lot more expensive_ than the SBS 2008 Premium SKU.

To demonstrate using fictitious numbers:

• SBS 2008 SPLA licensing structure:
• SBS 2008 Standard SAL: $30/MTH
• Licenses one user to access SBS and its features.
• SBS 2008 Premium SAL: $45/MTH
• Licenses one user to access both SBS and the second server and their features. Included SQL access if needed.
• Difference between STD and Premium: $15/MTH/User
• SBS 2011 SPLA Licensing Structure:
• SBS 2011 Standard SAL: $30/MTH
• Licenses one user to access SBS and its features.
• SBS 2011 Premium Add-On SAL: $45/MTH
• Licenses one user to access the Premium Add-On second server and SQL only.
• Cost to license both SBS STD and Premium Add-On: $75/MTH
• Net increase in Premium feature access for the 2011 version: $30/MTH/User

While the actual price of each SKU is relatively low, that price change is way more than we can absorb for our existing SBS Premium hosted clients so we will unfortunately need to pass that cost on to them.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Microsoft Hosting U – SPLA And Cloud Training

Microsoft has a Web site dedicated to those of us building Cloud based solutions on their products:

• Microsoft Hosting University

The above shot is for beginners while below is the Expert version:

There are some interesting resources applicable to those that work with developers, Web hosts utilizing IIS for their platform, and those that run data centers.

There seems to be a lack of material for those of us that host entire virtual infrastructures for our clients.

For us, it is worth a look if not for the most current SPUR (Services Provider Use Rights) (DOC Download). As we have more time we will work our way through the site.

Some of our current SPLA based offerings:

• Hosted SBS 2011/2008 in a Co-Lo data centre with Win7 and Office 2010 based desktops.
• Leased equipment with SPLA licensed SBS, Win7, and Office.
• Equipment rentals with SPLA licensed Win7 and Office.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

SBS 2011 – First RTM Bits Install

We just completed our first Answer File based install of the SBS 2011 RTM (Gold) bits:

The base install of the OS took up about 30GB:

The new SBS 2011 Console:

The cosmetic differences are certainly noticeable. But the functionality remains essentially the same.

The out of the box SBS Native Tools Console that we use a lot:

The screenshots are from a server VM that we are putting into production for a new hosted SBS client. We will be running a migration for an existing client from SBS 2003 this coming week and also migrating our own SBS v7 bits to the new SBS 2011 OS as soon as we can.

• SBS Blog: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard Releases to Manufacturing
• TechNet: Release Documentation for Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard

Make sure to check out the Release Notes as there are some install caveats that need to be known like WSUS taking anywhere up to 24 hours to synchronize when SBS 2011 is installed into a Hyper-V VM.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

.CA Agency CIRA Is Down For Maintenance

We need to make some changes to one of our .CA domains and are looking to register one. When we went to our registrar of choice DomainsAtCost.ca to manage our domains we saw the following after logging in:

Please be informed that CIRA, the .CA registry, is currently closed for a 24 hour maintenance period from October 12, 2010 at 9 AM until October 13, 2010 at 9 AM Eastern.

So, it looks as though we are on hold for our .CA needs at the moment.

The Cloud

While Cloud vendors may be a little more conscious of their user’s needs and try to run maintenance at a time when their services use is at its lowest, this situation brings cause for pause when it comes to evaluating how a Cloud service can either benefit or hurt our client’s operations.

An honest evaluation of the Cloud service and the costs to our client’s business if the service is down must be taken so that our client can evaluate the risks to their business as clearly as possible.

Once those risks have been evaluated and approved we can move forward with setting them up with a hosted Exchange and SharePoint environment (we are partnered with Own Web Now for this service), or even go so far as to serve SBS 2008 and Windows 7 desktops to them via SPLA licensing on our servers.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Managed Services Training Day

Managed Services Training

We facilitated a training session this morning with an I.T. firm’s team on how to implement a similar hybrid managed services model to ours.

We addressed the need to understand our clients and how they utilize their technology, how their utilization can be improved, as well as how assess those needs.

We also delved into how to present our managed services in such a way that the business owner realizes just how valuable they are. The value discussion is where the deal is won or lost.

From augmenting our existing client’s managed services with ExchangeDefender to facilitating their licensing using SPLA to enable a low monthly payment we discussed the many ways that we can pull together hardware, software, licensing, and our services to provide a great managed services offering.

In the end everyone appreciated the training and gave 100% positive feedback.

MPECS Inc’s Managed Services Offering

For us, our implementing of a hybrid managed services platform has eased the feast and famine cycle significantly. By doing so, we are better able to bring on part time technicians to help out with our client support needs and as we grow to look at bringing on a part time sales person. In both cases we hope to move towards a full time staff.

We make our monthly managed services charges a part of any quote or proposal that is going out to a prospective client. During our conversations with the owner/contact we would have discussed those services and their value.

An analogy that can be used with the owner/contact would be along the lines of a car needing regular oil changes, brake work, tires, cleaning, and the like as part of their ongoing ownership expenses. We expect those charges for our vehicles, we should also expect them for our IT infrastructure.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Some thoughts on Windows Server 2008 Foundation

While we have not had too much time to dive into the inner workings of Microsoft’s new server OS offering, Microsoft now has a specific product site for us to have a look at what the new Windows Server 2008 Foundation is:

• Microsoft TechNet: Introduction to Windows Server 2008 Foundation

From what we can see, the new server OS is meant to provide a “foundation” upon which a really small company can build their “stack”. Note that the user limit for the product is 15.

In Microsoft terms, the “stack” refers to the server software components that can be built into a box to provide server services. From Exchange to Windows SharePoint Services, most any Microsoft component can be stacked onto the OS to provide a viable solution for our clients.

In our case, we choose to run with the Small Business Server 2008 Suite of products if at all possible.

Cris Hanna’s comment on the IT World article Everyone forgets SOHO businesses is a good history lesson:

re: Everyone forgets SOHO businesses

Foundation Server is not new for Microsoft...it's been around at least since 2003. And was released under the name Windows Server for Small Business Server, which was very confusing for many. Same limitations, 15 users, no email, no remote web workplace and so on. People thought they were getting the full version of SBS 2003 which does include Exchange, SharePoint Services and so on … Cris Hanna

Cris goes on to comment about the possibility of a hosted solution for the small office’s e-mail and other needs thus providing a blend between the in-house server services and those based in the Cloud.

Windows Server 2008 Foundation

That is the direction we believe that Windows Server Foundation will facilitate for the small 2-7 seat offices. A local Active Directory server that manages the client’s locally stored data and share needs.

It can also have SharePoint installed and configured to give them Intranet and Internet access to their data. They The can also host their e-mail on a Cloud based Exchange hosting service to provide some form of redundancy for their e-mail. SharePoint could reside in the Cloud as well depending on the client’s specific data needs.

Small Business Server 2008

Around the 6-10 seat mark is where we would market an SBS 2008 based solution that may or may not include hosted Exchange. This is the level where the business owner needs to work with us on a vision of their business processes in relationship to their Intranet and Internet usage and access needs. With that vision in place, we would almost always end up with an SBS solution in place.

Hosted SBS 2008, Vista, and Office 2007

For a really small office, we would offer our own SBS 2008/Vista Business/Office 2007 hosted services as a starting block with room to grow into a blended solution via hosted Exchange and SharePoint. If the client’s growth continues, we would then be able to look into an in-house server solution either based on Windows Server 2008 Foundation and the already in place hosted Exchange/SharePoint, or an SBS 2008 based solution.

Which ever way we go, we have a lot of options at our disposal to tailor an I.T. solution based on our client’s needs that provides them with the best value for their I.T. budget.

Hosted Exchange and SharePoint

We are partnered with Own Web Now for our Hosted Exchange and SharePoint as well as E-mail sanitation (ExchangeDefender) needs. OWN enables us to provide an awesome MPECS branded Cloud experience for our clients. They do the hard work on the back end while we do the leg work. In the end, we both win!

Have a few minutes? Here are some thoughts on how to augment our company’s bottom line by partnering with OWN:

• An Opportunity for Passive Income with OWN.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

Outlook Error – The name cannot be resolved and SBS 2008 with Vista Hosting

We had a user on our hosted SBS 2008 service accidentally copy a bunch of folders into the Outbox in Outlook 2007.

The call to us came in that they were unable to send anything and were not sure why.

Once we connected to the Vista VM, we found the folders nested in the Outbox.

We removed the folders from the Outbox but the Send/Receive dialogue was still stuck.

So, we deleted the Outlook profile, deleted the OST file, and attempted to reconnect to their mailbox, but were not able to do so:

Microsoft Office Outlook

The name cannot be resolved. The name cannot be matched to a name in the address list.

Currently, the SBS hosting services are low key for a few clients that do not have network infrastructure in place but need a secure desktop and data sharing experience for their Line of Business applications.

The Microsoft licensing is provided through SPLA.

When we initially run the SBS Add a new user account wizard, there were no problems with configuring the Outlook profile.

The problem came after the fact:

Exchange 2007: Philip Elder Properties

Note the setting below the Alias: Hide from Exchange address lists. Once the user’s profile has been set up, we enable this setting to remove them from the GAL.

The error in this case was due to the Hide from Exchange address lists setting being enabled. Once we removed the check mark and clicked the Apply button, we were able to complete the Outlook profile set up.

SBS 2008 and Windows Vista Hosting

On the hosting side of the business, we have set up a custom User Role for new hosting users on the SBS 2008 server that tightens up the group membership and quota structures.

Access-based Enumeration is used for any needed shares to keep them hidden from users with no permissions to them and Standard User profiles are used on the Windows Vista VMs with no Network Discovery enabled to keep them isolated.

Customized GPOs are then used to tighten up the security settings on the desktops.

As this side of our business grows, we will look to incorporate another rung on the redundancy ladder by including OWN’s Hosted Exchange solution into the mix.

Scorpion Software’s AuthAnvil is also on the To Do list to incorporate another level of security for the hosting environment as we grow.

The key to making the SBS 2008 and Vista hosting viable for small business is catching the balance between the cost of installing a server setup for the client versus the low monthly cost of having someone else do it for them.

As a result, we need to partner up with key Cloud services providers to augment our own services to provide the best balance between cost and availability.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

SBS 2008 Remote Web Workplace Password Reminder

Now, how about this little message after logging onto the SBS 2008 Remote Web Workplace:

RWW Password Expiry Reminder

Is that kewl or what?!? :)

This is especially true for those of us that are hosting SBS environments for our clients via our SPLA agreements.

Once the user has logged onto the RWW, they can click the Change Password link found near the top right corner in the portal:

RWW Change Password

For many of our clients that do spend most of their time on their laptops outside the office and connected via RWW, this message saves them from trying to figure out why their Outlook Mobile Access or Outlook Anywhere has stopped working ... at least until they tried to log onto the SBS 2003 RWW and received the change password prompt.

A very nice touch on the SBS 2008 development team's part. Not only that, the user can initiate a password change from within the RWW portal. Well done folks. :)

This little password warning will save a good chunk of time, both our clients and our own, not having to answer those "things have stopped working" support calls when the user was off-site.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS 2008 - Top 10 Wow and Top 10 Learning

Susan talks about her top 10 Wows for SBS 2008: The top ten wow's of SBS 2008 as inspired by a blog post by Dana Epp: Top 10 WOW Features on SBS 2008 which will make me switch from SBS 2003.

For those of you who have heard me talk about SBS 2008, you know I am pretty excited about it ... just ask Constanza and Satish! ;)

There are two aspects to the Wow: Features and Learning.

The SBS 2008 features not necessarily in order:

1. Security: The simplicity of adding a third party certificate makes managing Remote Web Workplace access, Outlook Mobile Access, and Outlook Anywhere access a dream. A huge time savings for our clients and us.
2. Security: The new Windows Server 2008 Event Log setup allows for finely tuned filters and things like e-mails being fired off when a certain event happens.
3. Security: NAP ... NAP ... NAP! Yeah! Talk about the killer app for tightening up that ship! No more rogue systems that are unpatched and have out of date A/V or no A/V at all!
4. Terminal Services Application Serving: Lots of goodness here ... first place we will go with our setup is publishing our book keeping to eliminate the need for a dedicated RDP desktop! We can see so much potential for our clients here ...
5. SharePoint V3: The more we use it the more we want it! Top it off, between CompanyWeb SPv3, Windows Vista, and Office 2007 integration we are talking about serious workflow streamlining here!
6. Mobile Access: Getting ISA off the same box means no more fights with Windows Mobile Exchange integration!
7. Group Policy: The new Win2K8 OU/GPO structure along with Preferences and so much more give us such a great amount of flexibility and granularity when it comes to setting up our user and computer environments!
8. Security: The integrated Windows Firewall gives us a breath of fresh air ... no more third party apps breaking things or completely cutting our servers off from the world on install or updates.
9. Security: ForeFront and Live OneCare for Server: A one source, one stop shop for our server and client protection needs. Just check out the number of AntiSpam and Block List updates we receive in a day! Microsoft looks to be getting on top of their game when it comes to server/client malware protection.
10. Management: The splitting up of the SBS Consoles is refreshing. The Windows SBS Console is the console we will be using the most. It is simple, has an at-a-glance status page, and enables us to access needed features quickly and simply. Very refreshing. We also get the Windows SBS Native Tools Management Console with the native server component snap-ins for those times we need to get granular.

I don't know about you, but one of the things I really enjoy about our industry is the constant challenge to learn new things ... to stay on top of the products and technologies we work with.

With the advent of so many different products, it has forced me to make a choice: Remain a Jack of all Trades and Master of None, or focus in on something and get really good at it.

I am pretty sure the choice I made is fairly obvious, though I am no where near as good at working with the SBS product as others are ... yet! ;)

Top 10 things to learn on SBS 2008:

1. How to publish a TSApp through the Remote Web Workplace!
2. Windows Server 2008 Group Policy changes and implementation structures ... especially the Central Store. Jeremy Moskowitz's books on the table for this one.
3. Figuring out the XML structures for customizing things like the SBS Console itself or custom alerts.
4. Network Access Protection (NAP): Learning the ins and outs along with tying it into existing SBS 2008 features.
5. SQL Server 2008: Database migration techniques for existing LoB applications. Maintenance and Disaster Recovery.
6. Deployment: Windows Server 2008 setup techniques. Especially Windows Deployment Services for working with Win2K8, SBS 2008, and Vista WIM image deployments.
7. SBS 2008 Migrations: We are getting ready to migrate our own SBS 2003 R2 Premium setup to SBS 2008. We already have the stand-alone ISA box in place and waiting for production. Going to be the big one! :)
8. IPv6. At some point we need to sit down and learn this one ... soon!
9. Pass the SBS 2008 Exam! Not too sure about the status of the Beta I wrote three weeks ago.
10. How to design a SharePoint Web site from scratch without breaking the whole thing in the first place!

Those are the ones that come to mind at this point. There are a lot of SBS features that are pretty neat and need to be learned.

Another side to SBS 2008 for us: It will be the best way to setup our hosting environment for SPLA. The ability to limit on a per user basis what network resources, features, or desktops a user can access when the log onto the Remote Web Workplace makes this product perfectly suited to providing hosting services for small companies that do not want to spend on a network setup.

The bar was high with SBS 2003, it certainly has been raised with SBS 2008. Good on you SBS Team!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Microsoft SPLA - Huge changes happening

From the Microsoft Hosting Partner Community Newsletter verbatim:

Announcing the Launch of a New Version of SPLA
Beginning October 1st, a new version of the Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) will launch. There are several changes under the new version and we are highlighting the main points here. Please refer to the SPLA section within the Microsoft Partner Portal for more details.

SPLA version 2008 Agreement Launch Details
1. SPLA Agreement Moving Under the MBSA
2. Downloads available to all SPLA partners
3. Three-year commitment offering to launch in early 2009

1. SPLA Moving Under the MBSA
- Beginning with SPLA 2008, the Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) will be linked to a Microsoft Business and Services Agreement (MBSA/MBA). The MBSA/MBA is a perpetual agreement between the customer and Microsoft that contains high-level terms and conditions that are applicable to all agreements signed under it.

- SPLA partners who have an existing MBSA/MBA via another Volume Licensing agreement (EA, ESA, Select Plus, Select, or ISV) should work with their Account Manager and/or reseller to link the MBSA/MBA to their SPLA agreement. You will simply need to provide your MBSA/MBA number the next time you sign a SPLA agreement.

- SPLA partners without an existing MBSA/MBA will be required to sign one the next time you sign a SPLA agreement. The MBSA will automatically be included in your next SPLA packet.

Benefits:
- MBSA/MBA offers evergreen terms and conditions

- Once an MBSA is in place SPLA partners will only need to sign a shorter and simplified SPLA agreement every 3 years

- Partners can use existing MBSA/MBAs - simple process to link to SPLA

- It will be easier to acquire the required support from Microsoft as the MBSA includes the ability to purchase Premier and Professional support

- The MBSA/MBA can be used for additional purchasing opportunities with Microsoft

2. Downloads available to all SPLA partners
- Beginning October 23rd, all SPLA partners will have the ability to download products via the Microsoft Volume Licensing Services (MVLS) site as an alternative to purchasing media from the pricelist. SPLA partners will receive a welcome communication (via email) which will provide instructions on how to set up an account and access MVLS. This communication will be sent to your "notices" contact and 'electronic notices' contact identified on your SPLA agreement.

Benefits:
- No-cost option for media
- No longer have to wait for media to be delivered - download option also makes products available closer to the time of launch
- MVLS currently supports 24 languages

SPLA Partner Guidance for Using MVLS
- SPLA partners are free to explore the site but should be aware that MVLS has not yet been modified for SPLA partner usage - the main functionality being delivered today is the ability to access downloaded media.

- Things to be aware of:

* SPLA agreement will not be displayed on the MLS (Microsoft Licensing Statement) however, the agreement detail will be available on MVLS (please note that it has not been customized specifically for SPLA partners).

* Volume License Keys will not be available in MVLS. SPLA partners will continue to contact the Call Center for their Volume License keys.

- A guide for partners (including screenshots) will be posted on the MSPP SPLA page - 'Training Resources' tab on or after Oct 1st.

3. 3-year commitment offering to launch in early 2009
- The 3-year commitment offering will feature the addition of SKUs that will allow service providers to commit up-front to licenses for certain products and receive a 12% discount - with no minimum purchase quantity required.

- Partners can combine 3-year commitment and monthly SKUs purchases within the same SPLA agreement.

- 3-year commitment offering is billed with up-front annual payments; there are no true-ups or true-downs.

- This 3-year commitment offer will be available in early 2009; more information will be presented prior to the availability of this offer.

Benefits:
- Great option for SPLA partners with stable infrastructures, long-term commitments with customers and/or the ability to pay up front each year.

SPLA Changes to Align with Microsoft Online Services
Additionally, on July 8 2008, Microsoft announced there will be changes to SPLA, as highlighted at Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, to bring pricing and use rights in line with Microsoft Online Services. This will enable valued SPLA partners to deliver similar offerings, while differentiating their services to meet the diverse needs of customers. In anticipation to the upcoming launch of the Microsoft Online Services in the United States here is an overview of the changes being made to the SPLA program.

What's Changing:
- A business productivity suite subscriber access license (SAL) will be added to the SPLA to provide an equivalent to the Microsoft Online Services Suite offering. The new SAL will include:

* Exchange Standard

* Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) Standard

* Office Communications Server (OCS) Standard

* Live Meeting Standard

- A discounted SAL for Software Assurance (SA) will be added to allow purchasing of discounted SPLA SALs if end customer owns Software Assurance on server Client Access Licenses (CALs ) in Volume Licensing (VL).

- Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) network protocol will be included in the Exchange Standard SKU. Now Exchange Standard includes MAPI functionality, whereas before Standard Plus or Enterprise Plus were required for full MAPI functionality even if the end customer had Outlook. As a result the following restriction text will be removed from the SPUR:

"Restriction on use. Only users for whom you obtain an Exchange Server 2007 Hosted Exchange Standard plus SAL or Exchange Server 2007 Hosted Exchange Enterprise Plus SAL may use the Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) network protocol to access and use the server software."

- Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) Standard, Office Communication Server Standard, and Office Communication Server Enterprise SAL will be discounted.

Contact
If you have a direct agreement with Microsoft, please contact your Microsoft Account Manager for details. If you have an indirect agreement, please contact your SPLA reseller for additional details or questions.

There is a lot to digest here folks. Take the time to read through and get in touch with your SPLA contact to get any further questions answered.

And, for those of us who had Ingram Micro Canada as our primary SPLA contact, we are even further out of touch as our SPLA contact there bailed a while back and everything has been up in the air with them since then. :(

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

The Cloud looks to be kewl ...

There have been some excellent posts on the forthcoming Coud initiatives by Microsoft and others:

• David Overton: Why Microsoft Partners should embrace S+S and still deliver on premise solutions
• Vlad Mazek: Time to build your own bridge
• David Schrag: Information Technology Consultant, Contractor, or Vendor?

David Overton gives an excellent explanation of the ins and outs of Microsoft's vision for Software plus Services (S+S).

Vlad's post is his initial reaction to the announcements, with his followup posted in David Overton's comments for the above post.

David Schrag does an awesome job of speaking to the business aspects and direction of an I.T firm. While not necessarily S+S focused, the article is great for a business owner to work on their own vision of their firm.

For us, the move to the Cloud for many products and services we have come to take for granted only seems natural.

We signed the SPLA because we perceive a need for providing Cloud based services to our smaller clients.

Our post on Terminal Services RemoteApps should really help to clarify where the Cloud will fit in. Cloud based service providers that utilize RemoteApps have a killer app in their hands. No need for dedicated TS desktops, just email an RDP or MSI file to the new user and away they go.

Perhaps something like AuthAnvil to provide some additional security for their services.

Our clients do not need a completely decked out server/client infrastructure to accomplish one's daily business needs anymore ... at least that is where things are going.

We do have a few clients with very specialized Line of Business Applications that may not fall into the need for the Cloud yet, but it won't be long before those LoB vendors may be offering Cloud based services.

What does this mean for us?

It means that we will still need to implement some soft of client/server setup. At this point, the robustness of that setup may take a number of steps back as the only real local services being served will be file, print, DNS, DHCP, and a few other oddball server services.

But, our management of those systems will definitely not be on par with what they are today.

So, that means that we need to take stock of how the vendors we work with are looking to implement their Cloud S+S and find a place to fit in.

For some, the changes may be sad or disheartening news ... for us, it presents a whole new series of challenges and adventures!

There will always be a way to provide products and services for a fee to earn a living for us and our employees. The way to discover them is to have a good ear with the vendors, other service providers, and your employees.

If we need to reinvent ourselves, then so be it.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS 2008 and SPLA

We have not been pushing too hard to get things rolling in our SPLA program with an SBS focus as of yet.

The primary reason is that SBS 2008 will actually fit a lot better into a multiple user/company hosting setup.

The reasons:

1. Remote Web Workplace has the ability to setup the resource links on a per user basis.
2. SharePoint can be configured with a subsite that is linked in RWW for a given user only. This gives exclusivity to the sub site to specific users or groups of users.
3. Terminal Services Applications (formerly SoftGrid) can be published to the RWW site via a link.
4. Users can be assigned a specific desktop for RDC only ... so no more full list of computers.

Enrolled in the SBS 2008 beta yet?

If not, we suggest heading into it soon as it will have a direct impact on your SMB/SBS SPLA business.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SPLA - Hosted Services 70-501 Free Online Courses and Exam Discount

For those of us on the SPLA, we now have an incentive to further our professional recognition in this particular niche:

Free Online Courses

The courses will provide the foundation that one will need to write and pass the MCTS: Windows Server 2003 Hosted Environments – Configuration and Management exam.

There are 5 E-Learning courses being offered:

• Course 5238: Overview of the Microsoft Windows-based Hosting Solution E-Learning
• Course 5239: Planning and Deploying the Microsoft Windows-Based Infrastructure Components E-Learning
• Course 5240: Planning and Deploying Microsoft Windows-Based Hosted Services E-Learning
• Course 5241: Running Microsoft Windows-based Hosted Services E-Learning
• Course 5242: Optimizing, Reporting, and Maintaining the Microsoft Windows-Based Hosting Solution E-Learning
• Course 5243: Troubleshooting the Microsoft Windows-based Hosting Solution E-Learning

A further incentive within the email we received is a discount voucher for writing the exam which looks to be 32% off the regular price. There is a Web form to be filled out to obtain them.

This is definitely an opportunity that one should not miss for their technicians as part of developing a strong SPLA based business.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Some Media Kits Required to SPLA

As we work our way through the SPLA system to get our on-site and in-house hosting environment online, there have been a number of hiccups along the way.

One of the toughest so far was getting our media.

So, when starting down this particular road, the lesson we have learned is this: Order the needed media kits from our SPLA distributor of choice first.

Here are the kits we have ordered so far:

• Windows Server 200x
• P70-00299 Windows Server Web 2003 SP2
• LWA-00039 Windows Web Server 2008
• P73-02703 Windows Server Standard 2003 R2 SP2
• P73-03830 Windows Server Standard 2008
• P72-02472 Windows Server Enterprise 2003 R2 SP2
• P72-02841 Windows Server Enterprise 2008
• Windows Small Business Server 200x
• T72-00551 Windows Small Business Server 2003 Std SP1
• T72-01504 Windows Small Business Server 2003 Std R2 SP2
• T75-00605 Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium SP1
• T75-01360 T75-00605 Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium R2 SP2
• Windows Desktop
• 66J-01875 Windows Vista Business x64 Upgrade (SPLA licensed)
• 66J-02077 Windows Vista Business x86 Upgrade (SPLA licensed)
• Microsoft Applications
• 269-06937 Microsoft Office 2003 Professional Edition
• 021-08228 Microsoft Office 2007 Standard
• 79P-00031 Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Plus
• 086-03143 Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Standard
• D87-03249 Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Professional
• H30-02116 Microsoft Office Project 2007 Professional

SBS comes with the product key attached to the media and is associated with our SPLA number.

The rest require us to get in touch with the product licensing people to obtain our keys. Our agreement number and proper contact information is required for this call.

When it comes to obtaining the necessary keys, it is a good idea to wait 72 hours before placing the product key request as it may take that long, or longer for the agreement to register in the SPLA system.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS Hosting? MS SPLA is the answer

Lately we have been in contact with a number of small companies requiring SBS features and abilities but are not necessarily in a position to outlay that kind of cash up front.

These companies tend to be 2-5 seats with most of their users on the road. Some are even home based businesses that do not require the need for office space as their users are almost completely remote based.

An option that has become viable for us to get involved with is the Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement or SPLA.

What the SPLA enables us to do is setup either hardware dedicated or virtual SBS networks on our servers for the smaller companies to use.

The licensing revenue of Microsoft products under SPLA is per user per month. We essentially pay for what we use to provide our clients with the hosted SBS solution. And, the cost per month is very reasonable.

So, for a typical small business we may setup the following on a virtual server:

• SBS 2K3 R2 Standard
• Windows XP Pro or Vista Business desktops
• Office Standard 2003/7
• SharePoint Version 3

The advantages for the clients are manifold:

• No large outlay of cash for infrastructure - fees are month by month with a small setup fee
• Client does not need a dedicated physical location
• MS server, workstation, and applications hosted are patch managed
• ShadowProtect based backups - no, "I forgot to change the ..."
• Data is centrally accessible via share and/or SharePoint sites
• No need for new or updated hardware for their users
• Software Assurance covers any MS product for upgrades or downgrades

Besides a Managed Services focus, SBS hosting services can further stabilize an I.T. company's revenue stream by providing additional diversity and consistency.

For any company contemplating adding this type of service to their services portfolio however, there are a number of very important things to keep in mind:

• A reliable Internet Connection - preferably managed and/or fibre
• Hardware capacity to provide an excellent level of service
• Hardware, location, Internet connection redundancy
• UPS and/or power generation capabilities
• A good data backup system
• Disaster Recovery Planning in place
• A secured facility to protect the infrastructure
• Proper cooling for the hardware delivering the hosted services
• A lawyer approved service agreement

For us, it is our preference to meet our prospective hosting clients fact to face before considering them for our SBS based hosting solutions. We prefer to get to know them and their business first. From there we can tailor an SBS hosting solution to meet their specific business needs.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.