Most small businesses that use Small Business Server are currently using SBS 2003.  As the name suggests it is currently 6 years old and has been replaced with SBS 2008.

Do you need to upgrade your SBS 2003 installation?
Businesses that need to upgrade upgrading fall into two camps:

•  Those that need new serverhardware and so an upgrade is the most sensible route or
•  Those that have a specific business requirement that SBS 2008 can deliver

As with all technology purchase decisions, your first question as a business owner or purchaser should be, "is there a genuine business reason to upgrade to Small Business Server 2008, now?"

At Positive Computing we are driven by the needs of the businesses and we advise that they do not upgrade unless there is a clear business reason why they should do so now.

If you are currently in the process of creating a business plan to upgrade or migrate to SBS 2008, or you require professional assistance to assess the viability of an upgrade or migration for your business then please call 0118 907 0520.

How do you go about upgrading?
Upgrading any software can be tricky, but upgrading from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 can be technically quite complex. Upgrades need to be planned in detail, well in advance, and this is best done by experienced SBS professionals.

Because we are Microsoft Gold Certified Partners with extensive experience of SBS supply, installation, maintenance and support we are perfectly positioned to ensure that your upgrade goes smoothly.

As a general rule, to upgrade from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 you will need new hardware because SBS 2008 needs 64bit hardware with plenty of memory and other system resources.

We will guide you through attaining the correct software licenses and the required hardware to support your upgrade.  And because we are focused on the growing needs of every business we know that you want as little disruption to your business as possible. So prior to any upgrade we sit down with you and plan out a hassle free route to your upgrade.

What are the benefits of upgrading?
Upgrading to SBS 2008 will put your business at the forefront of technology. This means that you will be able to take advantages of the latest developments in mobile working, remote access, Intranet technologies such as wikis and blogs as well as new disaster recovery capabilities. SBS 2008 is all round a better experience for businesses.

Microsoft have focused on security and mobility. SBS 2008 also contains the core systems that will be required for new products such as Microsoft Office Live Small Business and Windows 7.

How long will it take to migrate the data and the services?
Every business is different and each installation of SBS 2003 has different elements specifically configured to support your business.  Therefore being precise about how long it will take involves understanding and planning.

We plan the whole changeover in advance and carry out activities like pre copying data to minimise downtime. It is possible to migrate from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 with no downtime at all.

From start to finish a migration will take between 2 days and 7 days depending on the complexity of your existing installation and the requirements for your business going forward.

What are the risks?
By using experienced SBS professionals like Positive Computing the risks are very low, Naturally we will discuss any potential risks with you before hand.

What are the costs?
Upgrade costs can vary but they are normally in line with a new installation. Costs are fully agreed with you in advance and the price we agree on will be a fixed price. 

Why should I use Positive Computing for my installation or upgrade?
Positive Computing is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner. Being a Microsoft Gold Partner means that we are accredited by Microsoft themselves to carry out installations, maintenance and upgrade of a host of Microsoft technology solutions including Small Business Server 2003 and also Small Business Server 2008. We have over 10 years of experience in SBS right back to 1999 and version 4.0