I have a lot of admiration for the SBS 2003 MVPs as this requires knowledge of a vast quantity of Microsoft products combined with how they work together in the SBS 2003 environment.
I don't however have much time for some of the people who post questions about WSS 2.0 or WSS 3.0 *running on SBS 2003* in a SharePoint newsgroup as at least half the time their problems derive from the fact that they are running either WSS product in a SBS 2003 environment (and some of them arise just from an SBS 2003 environment and have nothing really to do with WSS at all - think network connections)
But I still have to read their questions and decide for myself whether the answer is a universal one that would also apply to WSS 2.0/3.0 in a Windows 2003 Server environment or not, which needs at least a minimal amount of knowledge about what you get in SBS 2003.
So (preamble over) I was interested to see a Redmond Channel Partner article (Jan 2008 edition) about what the next "SBS" product will include.
The Standard edition has:
Windows Server 2008; Exchange Server 2007 and System Center Essentials for Management with ISA Server (version not specified) and Forefront Security for Exchange
The Enterprise edition is the Standard edition plus SQL Server 2008.
So it's based on Windows Server 2008, which is one reason why it's still in beta.
But where's Windows SharePoint Services ? I presume it isn't "missing in action" and all this means is that just as with Windows Server 2008 itself, WSS will no longer be bundled with "SBS xxxx" but you will just use the standard download the rest of us use.
This will be a "Good Thing" as hopefully this means that running WSS xxxx (to start with no doubt WSS 3.0) or even MOSS 2007 on SBS xxxx will be identical to running it on Windows server 2008. **** But see below - Late News ***
I certainly hope so as then I can just ignore whether someone has SBS xxxx or (directly) Windows Server 2008 as their platform and just get on with answering the question if I can.
P.S. The other news from that article is that from being a single server solution for a maximum of 75 users (SBS 2003), SBS xxxx can be run on up to three servers to divide the load.
Oddly enough though there is no mention of any new maximum number of users, nor is there any mention that 64-bit machines will be needed. At least I presume so (64-bit machines that is) because doesn't Exchange 2007 require them *and* a 64-bit OS ?
P.P.S. The new name is said to be "Windows Essential Business Server". We'll see if it makes it to RTM with that name. Somehow WEBS is a bit off. *** But see below "slightly later news" ***
Late news: Wayne in the first comment here said that the Beta of SBS 2008 does include WSS 3.0. So it's just the guy who wrote that RCP article who didn't think it worthwhile mentioning ... Shame on you !
Slightly later news (note to myself: don't ever write anything on SBS ....): Handy Andy's comment is that
The "EBS or EBS Essential Busness Server (was code named Centro)"mentioned above "is not the next version of SBS, it is a new Mid Market Multi-Server product for folks getting too big for SBS, it will have a limit in the range of 250-300 seats (still not set in stone from my understanding)"
He adds
"For more on EBS http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/ServerSolutions/businessserver.mspx"