Why SME Server ?

Perhaps you’re thinking: “So what, I can do that with [your favourite distro here].” What makes SME server special is that its features are well integrated and that after the installation there is no need for end users to see the command line again. You can install it and forget about it. You can deploy it at client offices without worrying about having to telephonically help an end-user through the intricacies of tab-completion and the bash history. SME Server quietly and efficiently gets on with its work. Being a Linux operating system, one gets a lot of bang for their buck: A couple of years ago, I replaced a Windows 2003 Small Business Server running on a Pentium 4 that had a 1GB of RAM (RAM was expensive then, remember) with an old Celeron 1.1 Ghz with 192 MB of RAM for an office of about 20 users. The SME Server running on the old hardware outperformed the bigger server in every way. It had a boot time under of under two minutes, versus almost 10 minutes. Stability, easy backups and immunity to viruses were just some of the other benefits. That was a late 6-series SME Server. I’ve played with it off and on since then and continued to be impressed by it. The current release is 7.4, and improvements and additional flexibility are available as part of the installation: A screenshot tour of the installation is found here. Screenshots of the web-interface are included in the Administration Manual.

What is the SME Server?

"Simple, Reliable, Secure, Cross-Platform and Extendable" The SME Server is an open-source software package that, when installed on a PC-compatible computer, transforms it into a easy-to-use, Linux-based communications server. When you connect the SME Server to the Internet and to your network, it provides you with a complete suite of essential networking services for internal and external communications and collaboration. Then the installation procedure was automated, and a friendly, ease-to-use interface added to make the SME Server server and gateway a breeze to install and administer. Insert the CDROM, supply some basic networking information, and stand back. There are as few installation questions as possible. In a few minutes you'll have a perfectly configured Linux server which you can administer from your web browser on any desktop. And you need no specialized training - you'll be up and running faster than you imagined! (You don't have to take our word for it - look at some of the comments made by our satisfied users). With SME Server, you're in control. You can drop the server into any existing network of Microsoft Windows, Macintosh or Linux/Unix machines - the choice of desktop operating system is yours. And you aren't locked into a proprietary hardware platform. This software runs on any Pentium-class PC, new or old, which means you can take advantage of existing hardware. Plus, upgrading is simple and inexpensive.