Your Computer Network Solution
Exchange 2007 Ready for Prime Time!
When it comes to e-mail and messaging, Microsoft’s Exchange Server is clearly the dominant player in our market. Today, the vast majority of Integrated Computer Systems Support clients are running Exchange Server, and of those, most are running Exchange Server 2003. In January of 2007, Microsoft introduced Exchange Server 2007, but iIn spite of numerous improvements, adoption has been slow to say the least. Why? Exchange Server 2007 has significant hardware and software requirements and it had not been proven, while its predecessor, Exchange 2003 is a proven and reliable workhorse, easy to deploy, and relatively easy to support. Many clients just have not seen a compelling reason to upgrade.
This last fall, Microsoft released service pack 1 for Exchange server 2007 and today, Exchange Server 2007 has very compelling arguments. That update has addressed virtually all of the issues with the first release. All servers now are 64 bit, and hardware prices continue to decline, so providing the infrastructure is not cost prohibitive.
Over the past several years, businesses have evolved away from FAX communication with clients to e-mail almost exclusively. This has made e-mail and messaging an absolute mission critical application for most companies. In fact, many clients tell us that e-mail availability is even more important than accounting or business management applications, as it directly affects their ability to communicate with customers.
Exchange 2007 has made significant improvements in system availability. The capability of replicating messages to multiple disk drives or even separate servers helps assure availability. Another significant change is the removal of size limitations of the message stores. In earlier versions, Exchange Standard Edition was limited to 75 GB in a message store. While years ago, this limit was not significant, today with increased usage and rich message content, that 75 GB limit handcuffs IT administrators. Exchange 2007 does not place size limits on the message store(s), regardless of edition.
Another trend we see is the increased need to access e-mail remotely. Outlook 2007 Web Access is a significant improvement over earlier versions with better capabilities and even integration with SharePoint Server for document access through a common interface. Add to that a much more comprehensive integration with Windows Mobile devices (smart phones), and you have some very compelling features, including:
- Local Continuous Replication
- Standby Server Replication
- Outlook Web Access improvements
- Outlook Anywhere (VPN-less access)
- Windows Mobile Integration
- SharePoint/File Server Access thru Web Access
- Unified Messaging
- Voice Integration (e-mail by phone)
So when should you consider deploying or upgrading to Exchange 2007? If your existing hardware is getting older, this is a great time to start budgeting for Exchange 2007. If you are running an older version of Exchange such as 5.5 or 2000, definitely consider an upgrade now. If you have a significant need for remote access, nothing beats it.
Migrating from Exchange 2003 or 2000 is relatively straight forward and is not terribly disruptive. Mailboxes can be moved from older systems to the new server(s) almost transparently. Even re-configuration of the Outlook client is automatic.
Give Chris Faist (425-284-5410) or any of the network team members at Integrated Computer Sysems Support a call to help you plan for Exchange 2007 in the future.
