Microsoft today released their Windows Phone 7 Connector for Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials. Previewed in January at CES, the apps allow Windows Phone 7 users to connect to their servers whilst on the move, enabling a range of mobile media streaming and sharing features.
To install the Connector, users must download and install a server add-in from Microsoft.com, then visit the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace on their device to download an install the specific app for their server platform. Once installed, the phone can be connected to the server by inputting the server's domain name (URL), username and password.
Once connected, you are able to view any outstanding alerts from the server dashboard, and can even attempt to resolve alerts automatically from your mobile device.
User accounts can be managed from your mobile handset, with options to view accounts, enable or disable accounts and change the user password. Connected devices can too be viewed, with the ability to check the backup status of connected PCs, as well as start or stop backups. Live tile support ensures you can monitor a variety of server information in real-time, including the number and type of network health alerts, percentage of disk storage used and your server details.
Most home users (and more than a few business users, I'm sure) will be most interested in the Windows Phone 7 Connector's media streaming capabilities. Once logged in, you're able to view your Music, Video and Photo libraries on the handset with full thumbnail and album art support. Streaming is available with a simple tap.
As a bonus, photos you take on your Windows 7 device can be uploaded directly to your server, via a new option in the Share menu. A new folder is created in your server's Photos share to hold images uploaded from your mobile device.
For more on the Windows Phone 7 Connector Release Candidate for Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials, head over to the Windows Home Server team blog.
Image credits: Windows Home Server Team Blog
