I understand that Microsoft won't be releasing another Windows Small Business Server after 2011, yet many businesses have too many users for the "Essentials" edition of Windows Server 2012, not really enough for a full Exchange deployment, but don't want to move to the cloud because of jurisdictional issues.
What's the upgrade path after SBS 2011, and is there any point in moving from an earlier SBS to SBS 2011 if that is going to be the end of the line?
Best Answer
I don't recall the details, but Server Essentials 2012 will support up to 75 users and beyond (though at some point beyond, it's features become restricted... or at least it becomes unadvisable to push the limits of their use further).
If your clients need Exchange the choice is simple - buy Exchange and Exchange CALs or go with Hosted Exchange (most commonly, Office 365). You could also look into other solutions, but if you want to stick to being a Microsoft shop, those are the answers (and no one I know likes them either).
As I understand it, there will likely be bundles for small businesses that may include Exchange, but the discounts likely won't be anywhere near what they amounted to for 2011 (though we can hope).