is exchange server the same as small business server?

Answer 1

Small Business Server includes Exchange Server. Exchange Server is also available by itself.

SBS is designed for small businesses with up to 75 users and is priced very competitively for the small business market.

Answer 2

Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition is included in the Small Business Server 2003 package, but it is only one component of SBS, which also includes Windows Server 2003, Windows SharePoint Services, Outlook 2003 (for client workstations), Internet and Information Services (IIS) 6.0, Shared Fax Service, SBS Monitoring and Reporting, Windows Software Update Service, and on the Premium Edition, SQL Server 2005 for Workgroups and Internet Security & Accelleration Server 2004 (Firewall). All of these components are installed on SBS using a unified platform and are preconfigured to work efficiently for companies of this size.

The version of Exchange included with SBS must stay installed on SBS, and is therefore constrained to SBS's limitations which include a maximum of 75 users and there can be no domain trusts or child domains.

For a typical small business these are not really important issues, but they certainly are for larger organizations. Therefore, you must understand that you cannot buy a SBS just for it's Exchange server and expect to install it on a larger network. Too often folks try to do this because of SBS's low price which can be as much as 75% less than a standard Exchange Server 2003 which must run on Windows Server 2003.