ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Feb. 21, 2001 -- Microsoft Corp. today announced the general availability of Microsoft® Small Business Server 2000, the third-generation version of its networking solution designed specifically to address the needs of small businesses with 50 or fewer PCs. The announcement was made before small-business owners in Atlantic City, N.J., attending The Big Day, a Microsoft-sponsored training seminar for business owners and technology decision-makers. Small Business Server 2000 includes the Windows® 2000 Server operating system and the Windows 2000 generation of Microsoft .NET Server solutions for e-mail, fax, database and secure shared Internet connections. Based on extensive input from small-business customers and technology providers, Microsoft has developed a powerful full-featured networking solution that is reliable and secure for this new Windows 2000 generation release. "Small-business owners and their technology providers have told us that they need a Windows-based networking solution that allows them to operate efficiently and effectively in today's rapidly changing marketplace, which includes an increasingly mobile workforce and demanding customer base," said Brian Valentine, senior vice president of the Windows Division at Microsoft. "The new Small Business Server 2000 release is the best way for small businesses to get Windows 2000 Server because of the additional functionality provided by the .NET Server applications and, more important, we focus on the unique small-business customer's requirements to deliver an integrated solution with reduced complexity levels and hassle-free management, all at an unbelievably great price."