Microsoft Revs Server Products
This week, Microsoft announced the R2 version of BizTalk Server 2006; shipped a beta version of System Center Operations Manager 2007 and a new version of its Antigen corporate email security product line; and, according to reports, finalized Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 as well. Not a bad week for a company that's seen continuous delays recently in its biggest products.
BizTalk Server 2006 R2 is the next version of Microsoft's business process management server and is due in the first half of 2007. (BizTalk Server 2006 debuted just three months ago, in March.) The new version will include services for developing and managing RFID solutions, new supply-chain capabilities, and native support for new messaging protocols. Customers interested in testing BizTalk Server 2006 R2 can participate in the product's new technology adoption program (TAP).
This week, Microsoft shipped System Center Operations Manager (formerly known as Microsoft Operations Manager, or MOM) 2007 Beta 2, a pre-release version of its next operations management server. According to the company, Operations Manager 2007 will feature end-to-end service monitoring; better reliability, security, and operational efficiency; and line-of-business (LOB) monitoring.
The Antigen product line, which Microsoft acquired last year with Sybari Software, has been updated to version 9, with Microsoft branding and some new features. Several Antigen 9 products will be made available July 1, including Antigen for Exchange, Antigen for SMTP Gateways, Antigen Spam Manager, and Antigen Enterprise Manager. Antigen email security products are notable for their use of multiple antivirus engines; customers can mix and match engines to get the best possible results.
Finally, Microsoft has released Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 to manufacturing. Typically sold to small businesses with low-end servers, Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 includes a new "green check of software health" feature that quickly alerts users when connected client machines are not up-to-date with security fixes. It also includes an integrated version of Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), support for 75GB Exchange mailboxes (up from 16GB), and the latest versions of Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server, and Microsoft ISA Server.
