GMS vs Exchange

Over at Small Business Computing is an article about a new alternative to Exchange called GMS. It always kills me when these articles talk about Exchange as a stand alone product for Small Businesses.

Here's the breakdown with SBS. $599 gets you SBS Standard which includes Windows Server 2003 AND Exchange Server 2003 AND 5 CALS and is the better product for a small business of 25. Add the CALs in: $99 x 20 = 1980. Ok so the total is higher at $2579/25 or $103.16/client. That's almost $20 a client higher than just getting the email alternative. The problem? In their situation you'd still have to get either Windows or UNIX to run it on. Now you've blown the price target out of reach. Even if it were just as simple as $20 more a client in my opinion it would still be worth it.

Why is it worth it? Check out what you get in SBS that you don't elsewhere. Remote Web Workplace. The ability to work on your office desktop PC from anywhere in the world out of the box. That alone is worth $20 a client. Plus all the other wizards and add ins to SBS that truly make it worth the price of admission.

Our local Red Robin (hamburger joint) has a deal to get 2 meals and 2 movie tickets for $24.95. That's a deal. Maybe if I used the approach of the article above I'd buy 2 meals at Red Robin for $30 and then 2 movie tickets for $20. And I'd be happy about it....no way. I'd be peeved because I didn't know about the deal. Get the word out and let everyone know that SBS is definitely value based for the small business.