Quantum
DXi3500 Backup and Replication Appliance: $24,000
www.quantum.com

THERE's a better way to back up than sending every file on EVERY workstation to a huge repository and hoping for a total save. Data deduplication is a technology whereby duplicate copies of the same file are are not backed up. Instead, one copy is stored and subsequent occurrences are saved as pointers. If one of your customers has ten sales associates, each with a 100MB folder filled with the same sales tools, a capability like deduplication could potentially save you 900MB of space when you back up all ten machines.

Quantum's DXi3500 is a storage and replication appliance with deduplication capabilities. The unit sits on your customer's LAN, communicating with servers over Ethernet. Depending on the model and backup frequency, 4.2TB of physical storage could mimic 210TB of traditional capacity.

Viewsonic
NMP530 Network Media Player: $899
www.viewsonic.com

THERE ARE A FEW CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN A DIGITAL SIGNAGE solution, from the server feeding content to the distribution network to the displays themselves. Depending on the parts you pick, signage can quickly become a very expensive proposition for your SMB customer.

One of the best ways to infuse value is to buy purpose-built parts. Viewsonic's NMP530 is a content server, connecting to displays through HDMI, S-Video, component, or composite outputs. Instead of installing a pricey, general-purpose server with expensive software, you roll out the NMP and accomplish the same goal. The box features 2GB of local storage and USB connectivity for local storage as well as Ethernet for pulling in remote content.

Viewsonic uses an embedded Linux OS to drive its NMP530, supporting MPEG-1/2/4 video along with Macromedia Flash content. The player works at resolutions down to 640x480 all the way up to 1360x768, making it an incredibly flexible signage platform.

Symantec
Backup Exec 11d for SBS 2003: $695
www.symantec.com

MICROSOFT'S SMALL BUSINESS Server 2003 operating system includes several extras you won't find in a standard Windows Server installation. Things like Exchange Server and, in the Premium Edition, SQL Server and ISA Server give the small business bundle plenty of pizzazz. Of course, the software that backs up each one of those components has to support each server package specifically—a massive dump onto an external hard drive isn't going to work.

Symantec's Backup Exec 11d is able to save the email store component of Exchange, the database from SQL, and all of the other files that need to be backed up. Open file support means that even important documents that are open when a scheduled run begins are still preserved. And a wizard-guided setup procedure helps get SMBs in the game quicker than a more complex backup app would. SBS 2003 R2 is supported, as are 64-bit environments.

CyberPower
Paragon Online OL1500RMXL2U UPS: $599
www.cyberpowersystems.com

SMBs gutting into the rackmount server scene MIGHT KNOW how to choose desktop battery backup systems, but when it comes to understanding server technology, the hardware gets much more complicated. Relying on CyberPower's Paragon Online series gives you the utmost in server uptime.

The OL1500RMXL2U is one of the company's top-end units, rated for 1500VA (1050W). It's an online double-conversion unit, which is more reliable than either line-interactive or standby units, the most common battery backup systems. The UPS takes a single NEMA 5-15P input from the wall and outputs to eight NEMA 5-20R ports. The whole chassis slides into 2U of rack space. CyberPower arms the OL with a hot-swappable battery. Need more uptime? Add additional battery packs. When it comes to SMB server protection, the OL1500RMXL2U wields true enterprise-class functionality.