More powerful — and simpler — than ever.
Thanks to the legendary simplicity and unrivaled power of the Mac, a network server isn’t just for big companies with large IT departments and huge budgets. Small studios, retail shops, even home-based businesses can all benefit. With Mac OS X Server as the operating system, you can make it easier for your employees to collaborate on projects and share files, automatically back up important data, host your own website and mail servers, and much more.
Cost-effective. Client-friendly.
Having a server is also more affordable than ever. Snow Leopard Server costs just US$499 for an unlimited number of clients, a fraction of what other server operating systems cost. Best of all, you don’t need expensive hardware to run it — you can use an Xserve, of course, but you can also use a Mac Pro, an iMac, or even a Mac mini. With Mac OS X Server, you can deploy the server that’s right for you.
Let Server Assistant be your guide.
Like everything else about the Mac, setting up your server is incredibly simple. After installing the Mac OS X Server software on your server, Server Assistant walks you through the configuration process, whether you’re setting up a small business network or connecting into your company’s existing network. Server Assistant uses easy-to-understand language, so it makes sense to both technical and nontechnical users. It’s streamlined, so it asks only the questions that apply to your situation, such as whether you want to set up mail, calendaring, and other services. And anytime during the process, you can get context-sensitive online help with a single click.
Next step: management.
Once the Server Assistant process is complete, you’re ready for the next stage: managing your server. Mac OS X Server makes that easy, too, with simple, innovative tools. The Server Preferences application lets you quickly manage users and groups on the server and, if you haven’t already done so, set up all your key services. And to help you keep an eye on things, a Server Status Dashboard widget gives you at-a-glance information on the status of essential services such as mail, file sharing, your website, and more.
Now use your server.
Once server setup is complete, your organization’s users are ready to take advantage of all the services Snow Leopard Server has to offer. Before you know it, they’ll be collaborating on projects and working more closely than ever. They can exchange files with each other, synchronize and share their contact information and calendars, schedule events, send secure instant messages, conduct live video conferences, send and receive email, contribute to and comment in wikis, publish a companywide blog, produce and distribute podcasts, and set up websites. And whether they’re working onsite or remotely, they can do it all without jeopardizing the confidentiality of the information they share.
