Microsoft's Centro becomes 'Essential' business server

Microsoft will release a public beta version of a bundle of server software
products for medium-size businesses, code-named "Centro," in the first
half of next year.

Centro is intended to make it simpler for businesses with limited IT management
resources to install and control key software tools. The bundle will go on sale
in the second half of next year as Windows Essential Business Server, the director
of product planning in the company's server and tools division, Russ Madlener,
said Wednesday.

The product, now in a private beta, is based on Windows Server 2008 (formerly
Longhorn), the company's next major server operating system update due for release
next year.

Essential Business Server is intended for businesses with 25 to 250 PCs. Since
system administrators in companies of that size often have a wide remit of IT
duties, Microsoft has tried to simplify management and deployment of the software
bundle, the company said.

For example, Windows Essential Business Server has one administration console,
and other independent software vendors can write applications that can be managed
through that console, Madlener said.

Security vendor Symantec will integrate its Backup Exec and Endpoint Protection products into Essential Business Server's management console. Other companies that have committed to integrating with the server include Citrix, CA, Trend Micro, FullArmor, McAfee and Quest, Microsoft said.

Essential Business Server will come in two editions, Standard and Premium.
The Standard edition contains:

Exchange Server 2007 for e-mail; Microsoft's business e-mail security product
Forefront Security for Exchange; System Center Essentials for management, and
Internet Security Acceleration Server 2006, a firewall and VPN (virtual private
network) gateway security product.

The Premium version adds one of Microsoft's database products, SQL Server 2008.

Microsoft has so far not released pricing for Essential Business Server, but
Madlener indicated that it will likely be cheaper than buying separate licenses
for the included products.

Elizabeth Montalbano, in New York, contributed to this report.