Exchange 2007 User Enhancements

• On the user end, the new Outlook Web Access (OWA) just about duplicates the look and feel of the Outlook 2003 desktop client, making it very user friendly. Another new feature in Outlook Web Access allows attached Microsoft Office documents to be opened on a computer that doesn't have an Outlook client installed. Smart Scheduling provides the user with easier and more customized scheduling of meetings, conference rooms and events through the Exchange calender. Microsoft also provides a quicker and more reliable email search function in its latest version of Exchange.
  
  

Exchange 2007 Administration Improvements

• Exchange administrators also benefit from the new and improved 2007 version. Outlook 2007's feature "auto discover" automatically finds the nearest Exchange Server with just user logon credentials. The Exchange Management Shell, molded around Powershell, provides powerful scripting enhancements for the email admins toolbox. New compliance policies in Exchange now offer options for easier archiving of email. More customizable retention policies are also available to keep messaging databases at more manageable sizes.
  
  

Exchange 2007 Requirements

• To support the enhancements to Exchange 2007, Microsoft requires a more robust Exchange server configuration and environment. Exchange 2007 requires a 64-bit operating system running on standard, datacenter or enterprise versions of Windows Server 2003 or Server 2008. The 2003 versions also require service pack 2 (SP2); 32-bit installations are available in training and development environments but are not supported in production. Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 is required on 2003 servers while Microsoft .NET Framework Version 3.0 is required on 2008 servers. Windows Powershell version 1.0 is a requirement on both 2003 and 2008 servers. Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 is also a requirement. This is installed on 2008 servers by default. In addition, the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and the Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) must not be installed on the server that's going to be running Exchange 2007.
  
  

Exchange 2007 Security

• Exchange 2007 offers security improvements over previous versions of Exchange. In this version, all local messages are now protected with TSL (Transcript Security Layer) encryption. This encryption is critical in today's corporate computing environment. For added security, the Exchange-hosted services version of Forefront offers another layer of data protection. Forefront is an antivirus and antigen product that protects computers from virus and other malware and is now available to protect Exchange data.
  
  

Exchange 2007 Considerations

• Consideration of the following factors is important when planning the installation or upgrade of an enterprise email system. Cost is one of the most crucial considerations. Most of the cost comes from having the deployment planned and completed either by an experienced outside Exchange consultant or by an in-house engineer. Downtime is also a consideration. Complex installations of this type require significant downtime and need to be scheduled with minimal impact to users. This will also create a consultant or overtime cost increase since most work will be done after normal work schedules. Since many Exchange features are new, training of administrators and engineers should also be taken into consideration. Microsoft and its authorized partners offer many training options. For more details, click the training and events link on the Microsoft homepage.