· Microsoft Exchange Server, a reliable, scalable and manageable Internet mail and collaboration server; and

· Outlook client family, which includes Microsoft Outlook 97, a rich e-mail and collaboration client that provides a unified, easily customizable view of information; Outlook Express, a free Internet mail and news client that makes it easy and fun to access mail and news; and Outlook Web Access, for browser-based live access to e-mail, calendar, discussion groups and directory information.

What does the Microsoft solution give customers? It provides support for Internet standards, including Post Office Protocol versi on 3 (POP3), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME), Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) for servers and clients, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) versions 2 and 3, HTTP, HTML, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Extended SMTP (ESMTP), Internet Mail Access Protocol version 4 (IMAP4) and Secure MIME (available in the next release of Microsoft Exchange and Outlook).

Microsoft's solution also offers reliability. Its write-ahead transacted message store, proactive server and link monitors, and message tracking (which allows messages to be tracked across the Internet or X.400 cloud) features are included "in the box" and installed by default with Microsoft Exchange.

The solution provides scalability through Single Instance Message Store (default configuration, does not require custom setup and configuration as some competitors do); support for thousands of users (based on recent independent benchmarks); unlimited store size (next release of the server); sup port for Microsoft Cluster Server (next release of the server); and a component-based client architecture that enables scaling up or down, depending on user need and hardware/OS configuration.

Microsoft's proposal offers manageability/usability. With Microsoft Exchange th is is provided with single-seat graphical administration (over a LAN, WAN or remote-access server), administrative wizards that make setup and configuration easy; and integrated Windows NT Server management tools.

With Outlook, manageability is provided via an award-winning, intuitive user interface; organized desktop information; easily customizable view of information; custom collaboration solutions that are easy to create "out of the box"; IntelliSense features; wizards and friendly help.

Microsoft's proposal offers security by means of Windows NT Server C2 security and unified logon; dual pair-key encryption and digital signatures; multiple authentication methods for client connections, including Windows NT Challenge/Response , SSL and Clear Text; and client and server support of S/MIME in the next release.

Microsoft's solution provides an extensible development environment by means of a "build once, run anywhere" forms environment that makes it easy to build forms in Outlook and run them in HTML. The solution also is part of Active Server Platform, which lets Microsoft Exchange and Outlook Web Access be part of a complete Internet/intranet solution. And it offers support for the Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI).

Finally, Microsoft's solution works with what you have. Microsoft Exchange and the Outlook client family work with existing programs on the server and on the desktop. Microsoft Exchange works with Windows NT Server, Novell NetWare, MS Mail, cc:Mail, NotesMail, OfficeVision/PROFS, SNA Distribution Services (SNADS), Digital All-in-1, MEMO, GroupWise, Collabra Share, Microsoft Office, Microsoft BackOffice, X.400 and the Internet. Outlook works with Microsoft Office and other MS Office Family product s, including Project, Team Manager and Publisher, any Internet service provider (ISP) and any MAPI-base e-mail server.

To download an Adobe Acrobat .pdf format version of the Pricing Summary, click here.
To download an Adobe Acrobat .pdf format version of the vendor's technical specifications, click here.


Updated July 31, 1997