SAAS or On-Premise E-mail: Which is Best? - On-Premise: Microsoft SBS 2008
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ON-PREMISE SOLUTION
Microsoft Small Business Server 2008
A premise-based solution is the old standby, which entails the customer purchasing a server, software and paying for the integration of the hardware and software. Premise-based solutions can include server appliances, traditional servers and a variety of software packages. In many cases, solution providers will turn to a package built around Microsoft’s Small Business Server and a traditional file server. More adventurous solution providers may select a Linux distribution for their network operating system, but may run into issues supporting some vertical market packages that may be needed for line-of-business applications.
For many solution providers, a traditional approach seems to be the most straightforward way to introduce e-mail and collaboration into a small business. It’s hard to beat what Microsoft has to offer with Small Business Server 2008, a 64-bit network operating system that combines many Microsoft technologies to create a collaboration platform with offers a plethora of services aimed squarely at the small business. It’s worth noting that an SBS 2008-based network requires an upfront investment from the customer and there’s quite a bit of integration and setup needed to make it all work. Good news for a solution provider, but perhaps not the best of news for a customer.
Here’s the costs for setting up a typical SBS network for a 10-user environment.
|
Basic File Server |
$2,500 |
|
SBS 2008 Standard Edition (with 5 users) |
$1,089 |
|
SBS 2008 CAL Suite 5 pack |
$385 |
|
Data Backup Solution (Drive & Software) |
$1,200 |
|
Network AntiVirus/AntiSpam |
$800 |
|
Installation and Setup ($90/Hr) |
$1,800 |
|
Maintenance & Support (3 Years) |
$6,480 |
With an on premise solution with three-year service expectancy works out to $14,254, with a solution provider seeing a gross profit of roughly $8,800 over three years. For the customer, the cost works out to about $40 per user per month.
Of course, with a premise-based solution such as this, solution providers can expect to profit from add-on sales and customers will most likely need additional support, training and will want to integrate other products over time. A solution provider can expect to realize more profits over time as a relationship is built with the customer.
Messaging and Collaboration 
