Nearly 10 million WS 2003 servers will have to be shut down, have their data and apps removed and be re-deployed on new servers. This server migration will be challenging enough for large enterprises with dedicated IT departments.

For small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) with fewer resources, the task of a server upgrade may seem overwhelming. An assessment by a trusted managed services provider (MSP) — one who understands your company’s core mission — is a good place for an SMB to start the process.

Your MSP needs to understand both how your business operates, and its culture. Matching the right server with an SMB entails many factors such as the size of the enterprise and the number of users, budget constraints, and license fee costs.

The entire migration takes time and planning, but here is an overview of each of these three server options available to replace Windows Server 2003:

1. Windows Server 2012 Standard and R2
2. Windows Server 2008
3. Microsoft Azure