Is Microsoft Windows SBS 2011 still supported?
Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) 2011 official Microsoft support ended on 14th January 2020. This was due to the Windows Server 2008 R2 also reaching End of Microsoft support life-cycle.
Microsoft SBS 2011 Standard had several server components which included:
| Product | End of Support |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | 14th January 2020 |
| SQL Server 2008 R2 Express | 9th July 2019 |
| Exchange Server 2010 | 13th October 2020 |
| SharePoint Foundation 2010 | 13th October 2020 |
| Windows Server Update 3.0 | 14th January 2020 |
Microsoft SBS 2011 Premium was a separate add-on product and provided the ability to install a second Windows Server 2008 R2
| Product | End of Support |
| SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard for Small Business Microsoft’s announcement | 9th July 2019 |
Microsoft did extend Exchange Server 2010 support till 13th October 2020, however Microsoft highly recommend that companies still using it should upgrade to Exchange 2013/2016 or Microsoft Office 365.
What does end of support mean?
When the Microsoft product support life cycle ends, it means that the product will no longer receive any security updates, patches or new features and direct support (including paid) will no longer be provided by Microsoft.
This means that the product will continue to operate however if a security flaw is found, Microsoft will not provide a fix for it.
Microsoft recommend that users should move to the latest version of their product to continue receiving support and updates.
What product should you move to?
Microsoft Small Business Server 2011 was the last Small Business Server version Microsoft produced, when they developed Windows Server 2012, this was available in three variants:
- Essentials
- Standard
- Enterprise
The Essentials version was aimed at businesses with below 25 users and provided Active Directory, file & print services and could link to Microsoft Office 365 which provided hosted Exchange email.
Both Standard and Enterprise versions were aimed at businesses who had more than 25 users or wished to run Exchange or SQL server software on premise.
Windows Server 2012 has also been superseded by Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019. However, you may not need a server on premise so we suggest reading our do you still need an onsite server page.
If you currently have Microsoft SBS 2011 and would like to review your options, please contact one of our consultants on 0333 332 6600