Microsoft"s partners are chomping at the bit to get their hands on Windows Home Server, but some feel it"s going to make its biggest initial splash with tech-savvy users. Due to launch this fall, Windows Home Server connects multiple PCs in the same household, and stores, manages, backs up and protects digital audio, video and photos.
In addition to centralized storage and backup, Windows Home Server also lets users access their digital content remotely, and is built on the secure platform of Windows Server 2003, says Joel Sider, senior product manager in the Windows Home Server group at Microsoft. Although Windows Home Server is designed to be easy to install and use, the software fits well into the toolbox of home integrators, who can wrap it into a smart home solution along with home automation and networking technologies, Sider noted. David Stinner, president of US itek Group, a system builder in Buffalo, N.Y., expects Windows Home Server to attract more interest from business users than with consumers, at least initially.