Install Microsoft Exchange Server and you get a full featured enterprise mail server, capable of operating in the largest businesses, supporting tens of thousands of users. It began life using proprietary communications protocols, but now supports common internet mail standards such as POP3, IMAP and SMTP. Exchange has grown over the years, and the latest release, Exchange 2003, adds features and updates existing functions.
A standard edition and an enterprise edition are available. The enterprise edition has all the features of standard, adding cluster support and can handle up to eight terabytes of messages. A third version will be bundled in Microsoft's Small Business Server 2003 package, and will only handle a limited number of users.
Many companies install Exchange as a mail server, but it can be much more than just a tool for routing and storing email. Inside Exchange there are tools and technologies designed to help Windows and Office users collaborate inside a single organisation. To get the most out of Exchange 2003, you really need to be running a full Windows Server 2003 installation with Active Directory and Office 2003. These allow you to build com plex workflow applications around common office tasks and familiar tools, and build Exchange services into SharePoint portals. Exchange 2003 also introduces a new licensing model: a user licence and a device licence. The user licence allows one user to access a server with multiple devices, and the device licence is for one device with many users.
Security is an important feature of any mail server. Email viruses and spam are common problems, and the combination of Exchange and Outlook has been an attractive target for virus writers. Microsoft is hoping that the new version's basic anti-spam filters and virus-scanning API will help businesses protect email services. Third party anti-virus tools can use the API to plug directly into Exchange servers, helping reduce the risk of viruses spreading to desktop PCs.
So should you upgrade? If you're still running Exchange 5.5, you'll find Microsoft has various migration tools, to help you plan and manage any upgrade. Nigel Postings, services engagement manager at Microsoft UK, has been working with early adopter customers, and describes the upgrade as "making Exchange work harder for you". Moving from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2003 will help you consolidate your existing mail system, reducing the number of servers and your support costs.
Exchange 2000 users won't see as many benefits, though new features such as the Mailbox Recovery Centre may make upgrading attractive. As mail becomes more important to the business, Exchange's recovery tools will help mail administrators meet mail service level agreements even if there are major server problems, as you will now be able to restore basic email services to your users before recovering data. If you're using Windows Server 2003, you can also take advantage of Volume Shadow Copy to speed up back-ups. It's probably worth thinking of Exchange 2003 as a major service release for Exchange 2000, offering many improvements but no major changes.
On the desktop, Outlook users will see some changes, especially if they're using Outlook 2003. A new cached mode connection to an Exchange server helps keep bandwidth usage down, and can help with site consolidation. Remote sites will be able to use Outlook and a DSL connection to a central Exchange server, rather than running their own local mail system. Outlook 2003 can also connect to Exchange 2003 over HTTPS, keeping mail connections to remote and mobile users secure without the additional complexity of building and running a VPN.
You don't need to work with Outlook to use Exchange. Apple's latest versions of its Mail and Address Book tools, bundled with OS X 10.3, will work with your Exchange servers. You'll also find that Mozilla's free Thunderbird mail client can easily use Exchange's IMAP features.
Exchange's own web mail tools have been significantly improved, and Outlook Web Access now has a user interface that looks just like its desktop counterpart (if you're using Internet Explorer), and includes a spell checker. There's no longer any need to install additional tools to support mobile phones and PDAs. Mobile devices can use Outlook Mobile Access to read mail on the road, while Microsoft's own smartphones and PDAs can synchronise with the server over any mobile data connection, including GPRS.
Exchange isn't the only mail server on the market, though it is relatively easy to set up and manage compared with some of its competitors. From open source applications to IBM's Lotus Notes, there are tools that will suit every size business. If you are thinking about starting from scratch, you will need to consider your IT department's administration skill sets before deciding. It can be difficult to choose an appropriate mail server, but organisations that are already using earlier versions Exchange will find Exchange 2003 a capable successor to their existing platform.
Online trial for Outlook Web Access
www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/trial/online.asp
