Office 365 Integration Module Beta for Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

Microsoft is allowing early adopters to start testing the first Beta development milestone of Office 365 Integration Module for Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials.

The module is designed to bridge the software giant’s Cloud productivity offerings with its small business server infrastructure product.

Office 365 Integration Module Beta for Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials is currently available for download on Microsoft Connect, revealed David Fabritius, senior product manager from Windows Server and Cloud Marketing.

“The joint technologies provide businesses with an affordable hybrid solution that helps protect data, organize and provide access to business information from virtually anywhere, and support the applications that enable the business to run smoothly and efficiently,” Fabritius said.

OIM for SBS 2011 Essentials comes to push the server Dashboard into the Cloud, providing seamless integration with Office 365.

OIM can be installed at any time after the deployment of SBS 2011 Essentials, and streamlines a set of tasks such as managing an Office 365 subscription, creating accounts in bulk and administering existing accounts.

At the same time, the Office 365 Integration Module Beta for Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials comes with additional capabilities, including allowing customers to:

“• Synchronize passwords for network user accounts and Office 365 accounts. This allows network users to sign in to Office 365 using their Windows password.

• Link a professional Internet domain that you have set up on Window SBS to Office 365.

• View information about your Office 365 subscription.

• Access your Office 365 management portal from the Office 365 page of the server Dashboard.”

The promise from Microsoft is that SBS 2011 Essentials and Office 365 are a natural fit to boost productivity and efficiency.

Both offerings are geared toward an audience of small business customers which need to do as much as possible on little financial resources.

Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2011 Essentials RTM is available for download here.