Started off life as the e-smith server, a customized red hat server that got started around 98/99. 
Mitel Networks somehow got involved with the development a few years later. It was meant to be an NT Server replacement, and designed to be easy to setup and use as a server/gateway in small office environment. Being a FOSS project there are different ways you can use it and tons of contributed modules. Hence their domain name "contribs.org". The latest versions are based on Centos and the project continues to truck on through different development and leadership changes.
No page links to SMEServer.
