14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has confirmed via its official Mac OS X Lion marketing page that Lion Server will be bundled with the client version, leaving only the price to be debated in the months preceding its summer launch. Mac OS X Server (Snow Leopard) currently costs a pocket burning $499.
On the page dedicated to promoting some of the key features in Mac OS X Lion, Apple clearly states that "Lion Server is now part of Mac OS X Lion. It's easy to set up your Mac as a server and take advantage of the many services Lion Server has to offer."
[admark=1]Previously, Mac OS X Server, be it Leopard or Snow Leopard, would cost a fortune to buy and implement, but now Apple is making it easier for IT departments and small businesses to rely on its operating system for computer management needs.
Seeded to developers yesterday as a preview of what’s to come, Mac OS X Lion offers a customizable option during the installation process which includes installing the OS for server purposes.
Mac OS X Lion Server has support for managing Mac OS X Lion, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
Profile Manager in Lion Server “delivers simple, profile-based setup and management for Mac OS X Lion, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices,” Apple explains. “It also integrates with your existing directory services and delivers automatic over-the-air profile updates using the Apple Push Notification service.”
The software guides administrators through configuring their Mac as a server and it provides local and remote administration.
These include push notifications, file sharing, calendaring, mail, contacts, chat, Time Machine, VPN, web, and wiki services, for users and groups.
Wiki Server 3 is there to aid in collaborating, sharing, and exchanging information, while WebDAV gives iPad users “the ability to access, copy, and share documents on the server from applications such as Keynote, Numbers, and Pages, Apple said.”
Mac OS X Lion is available as a free download to register Apple developers via the Mac App Store.