Exchange and Outlook UPDATE--December 22, 2005

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1. Commentary
- Exchange 12 Beta 1 Hits the Streets

2. Peer to Peer
- Instant Poll
- Featured Thread: Guidelines for Setting Up Exchange
- Outlook Tip: Printing the Manager's Name Field for a Contact

3. New and Improved
- Access Groupware Features in Entourage 2004 Service Pack 2

==== Sponsor: C2C ====

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Editor's note: Share Your Exchange Discoveries and Get $100
Share your Exchange Server and Outlook discoveries, comments, or problems and solutions for use in the Exchange & Outlook Administrator print newsletter's Reader to Reader column. Email your contributions (500 words or less) to [email protected]. We edit submissions for style, grammar, and length. If we print your submission, you'll get $100.

==== 1. Commentary: Exchange 12 Beta 1 Hits the Streets ==== by Paul Robichaux, Exchange Editor, [email protected]

Last week, Microsoft released the first beta of the next version of Exchange Server, code-named Exchange 12. The company hasn't said much about specific Exchange 12 features, but enough information is trickling out to give us some intriguing glimpses.

Like most other Microsoft beta 1 releases, the Exchange 12 beta is limited to a small group of testers--about 1400 organizations. This group is apparently a larger group than the equivalent betas for Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange 2000 Server.

These testers get a fairly extensive list of goodies, all grouped into three themes: better control, better Inbox value and access, and active protection.

On the control front, the thing I'm most eager to see is the new administrative interface, powered by Exchange-specific extensions to the Monad scripting shell. Monad is a terrific scripting environment that greatly simplifies everyday tasks, and I look forward to writing more about it. Microsoft has also juggled some of the server roles. Instead of front-end and back-end servers, several new roles exist:

- Edge servers provide message hygiene and security at the network perimeter.
- Client access servers are roughly similar to today's front-end servers; they provide client access to message data.
- Hub transport servers are messaging bridgeheads that route messages internally.
- Unified messaging servers provide telephony integration, fax support, voice access, and other non-text-related email services.
- Back-end servers becomes mailbox servers...well, you can guess what those do.

For our Inboxes, beta 1 delivers unified messaging (including a capability to get your Inbox contents from any phone--something I can't wait to try), an improved version of Outlook Web Access (OWA), and full support for Web service access to mail data. This last one unleashes a new front for developers, who will have straightforward tools to access any data in the Exchange store. Many of the improvements in this area are driven by the forthcoming new version of Outlook, which Microsoft still isn't discussing much with the public. Look for more coverage about the new Outlook version as Microsoft discloses more details of how Outlook 12 and Exchange 12 will work together.

The active protection theme is interesting, too. Microsoft now owns the Sybari AV solution, and clearly Exchange 12 will tightly integrate with it. I also expect to see some improvements in the integrated spam- filtering solutions we now have with the Microsoft Exchange Intelligent Message Filter (IMF). Microsoft has also committed to providing better integration with FrontBridge email services, although the company hasn't released any details.

Microsoft has said that it will release Exchange 12 in late 2006 or early 2007, and that in mid-2006 we'll see broader, more-public betas for Exchange.

What does all this tell us? Microsoft always runs beta code internally; as of now, according to the Microsoft Exchange Team Blog ( http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA28:10344 ), the company has about 3000 internal mailboxes hosted on Exchange 12. That's a good start, and if past history is any indication, that number will grow rapidly as we move from beta 1 to beta 2. Along the way, I expect more details to appear to flesh out the public roadmap for Exchange 12 that Dave Thompson first presented in January 2005.

Happy holidays!

==== Sponsor: Symantec ====

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Go to http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA2F:10344

==== Events and Resources ==== (A complete Web and live events directory brought to you by Windows IT Pro: http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA2A:10344 )

WEB SEMINAR: Manage and reduce planned downtime to prevent unexpected outages. View this seminar today:
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SQL Server 2005 Up & Running Roadshows Coming to Europe!
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WEB SEMINAR: Free tools to help you analyze threats and create Acceptable-Use Policies (AUPs) for your network. View this seminar today:
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New SQL Server 2005 Express Email Newsletter!
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http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA27:10344

WEB SEMINAR: Identify and troubleshoot common SMTP problems and learn about each component of Exchange that touches inbound and outbound messages. Live seminar February 14, 2006. http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA21:10344

==== Featured White Paper ====

WHITE PAPER: Learn about the most common complications that arise during litigation-related email discovery and get tips on how to avoid them.
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~~~~ Hot Spot ~~~~

Your Guide to Exchange 2003 High Availability
Many things can affect your messaging system's availability, including component failure, power outages, operator errors, and natural disasters. This FREE white paper will help you plan and implement reliable strategies to maintain highly available Exchange Server 2003 messaging systems. Download it today!
http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA20:10344

==== 2. Peer to Peer ====

Instant Poll
The voting has ended in the Windows IT Pro Exchange & Outlook nonscientific Instant Poll for the question "What's the number-one automatic defragmenter on the market?" Here are the results from the 17 votes:
- 94% Diskeeper
- 0% O & O Software Defrag
- 0% Raxco PerfectDisk
- 0% Winternals Recovery Manager
- 6% Other

The next Exchange & Outlook Instant Poll question is "Which version of Exchange Server are you using?" Go to http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA26:10344 and submit your vote for a) Exchange Server 5.5, b) Exchange 2000 Server, c) Exchange Server 2003, d) Exchange 2003 SP1, e) Exchange 2003 SP2, or f) We don't use Exchange.
http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA26:10344

Featured Thread: Guidelines for Setting Up Exchange
A forum reader has a question about basic guidelines for setting up a new Exchange Server system. Join the discussion at
http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA1A:10344 Outlook Tip: Printing Journal Entries in a Calendar Format by Sue Mosher, [email protected]

Q: I want to print out journal entries in a calendar format to review what I did on a certain day. How can I do this using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003?

Find the answer (and links to more great tips) at http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1CA1B:10344

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==== 3. New and Improved ====

Access Groupware Features in Entourage 2004 Service Pack 2
Kerio Technologies announced Kerio MailServer 6.1.2, a groupware server that uses Outlook and Microsoft Entourage as its email and groupware clients, respectively, to let you collaborate by means of shared calendars, tasks, email, and contacts. This release lets Apple Computer's Macintosh users access the groupware features found in Entourage 2004 Service Pack 2 (SP2) and more effectively collaborate with others who use Outlook on a PC. Entourage 2004 SP2 gives you improved support for multiple calendars, Global Address List (GAL), and folder delegation. Kerio MailServer 6.1.2 starts at $499 for 20 users or $899 with integrated McAfee Anti-Virus. For more information, contact Kerio Technologies at [email protected] or 408-496-4500.
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