There are many scenarios, so we'll tackle each in turn.

You totally depend on Active Directory and run Exchange Servers

For starters, you can totally leave Active Directory alone and do some of the following:

• Integrate Linux servers as member servers for print and file services. Just think of how much you could save on license fees!
• You already know the benefits and problems of your infrastructure, but how do you cater for users that want remote web mail access?
• Do you have them dial into the exchange server remotely through IIS? We all know of IIS's vulnerabilities, so there are ways in which you can improve things. What you don not want them to do is to dial into any servers that is a domain controller.
• First you can protect your Exchange server farm by restricting it to the LAN. You can then continue to use all the Group Policies that have been set up. Next you will need an integrated firewall/SMTP server to receive your mail, and forward this to the exchange. Granted it's not easy, but we have done it so many times with so much success that the end users never have to realise that mail is coming from another SMTP server. Finally, if you are running a front and back end Exchange farm, we can set up a mix of Linux SMTP and Exchange servers that will boost security, and save on costs.
• Remember that the vast majority of ISPs run Apache and Sendmail/Postfix/Qmail. You too can benefit from such carrier grade reliability.

Perhaps you are not even getting the most from Active Directory, or Still run an NT4 domain, or even a Workgroup

In this scenario, you are basically using any available Exchange servers as a glorified IMAP server, and you should migrate your mail server to Sendmail, Qmail, Postfix SMTP/IMAP4 servers. This is also one way to get round the unfortunate Outlook 2GB PST file limitation, if you have not upgraded to Outlook 2003.

If you are running an NT4 domain, and thought that the only choice you have is to upgrade to Server 2003, then your choices include the following:

• Replace your ageing and non-supported PDC and BDC with Linux versions running Samba on the same hardware to get domain level functionality and advanced security in a fully supported, up to date operating system.
• Forget all about client access fees and restrictions, since there is no client limits whatsoever with Samba. No wonder the Financial Times recently announced that it had migrated some FTP, File and Print servers to Linux.
• Get the added benefit of robust High Availability or High Performance Linux clustering.

You have less than 75 users, and one domain and must use Microsoft technologies, but still need to save money

This is a common situation for Small and Medium Size Businesses and they can benefit as follows:

• Let us install the excellent Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 for your domain
• On the desktop you can install Open Office for the software suite, or Microsoft Office 2003. The only tricky choice is that regarding mail. Do you need to use Outlook, or can you get by with Outlook Express>
• If you can use Outlook Express, then you can use a much more robust Open Source mail client like Mozilla Thunderbird as an IMAP client to the Exchange server in SBS 2003
• All your file and print servers can be running on Linux servers, and you can have an extra Linux server for a Firewall and Mail/VPN Gateway.

The possibilities are endless, so call us now on 0845 226 9188 to find out how you can have it all for less!