RollOut: Microsoft Exchange 2007 Beta 2

Microsoft Exchange 2007 may be a few months away from shipping, but the beta is available, and we've taken it for a test drive.

Exchange is the leading corporate e-mail platform, with about one-third of the market, according to The Radicati Group. Over the years, Exchange's revenue and market share have grown considerably, especially in the midsize-to-large-business arena. The system combines the familiar Windows administration, integration with other Microsoft products and an institutional love for Outlook. The platform's entry price is on par with Lotus Notes/Domino, but considerably higher than messaging and collaboration products from second- and third-tier vendors, such as CommuniGate Systems and Rockliffe.Our tests of the Exchange 2007 beta revealed many useful features, especially pertaining to Web access. Its architecture and management interface have been redesigned, and Microsoft has added UM (unified messaging) features, such as access to voicemail and speech recognition. Outlook has gotten some incremental upgrades, such as useful calendar improvements, but Outlook Web Access, a Webmail client, has had a major, and successful, face-lift.

Improved Administration

Among the significant changes to Exchange's architecture is the move to 64-bit processing, along with a shift in the approach to server roles, which should improve scalability and security, though it won't be possible to gauge actual speed increases until the software is released.

This rollout marks the first time Microsoft is requiring x64-based hardware and software, including Windows Server 2003 x64. Microsoft will not be supporting a Win32 executable in production servers, but will offer one for trial and training purposes.

The server can be installed in any of five roles: edge, hub transport, client access, mailbox and unified messaging, and you can run multiple role on the same server. This structure lets an IT admin distribute load and place servers in key locations. The edge server handles message hygiene and antispam, but is not part of the Active Directory domain. Hub servers route traffic. The client-access server makes connections to mobile devices, e-mail applications and OWA (Outlook Web Access). Mailbox servers hold all the users' mailboxes. Finally, The UM server handles voicemail and fax integration.Microsoft also has rewritten its management GUI and CLI. All aspects of the server can be configured through the CLI using Microsoft's Monad shell. Unlike the previous version, whose CLIs were available only through third parties, the Exchange Management Console's GUI was written on top of the CLI. When we finished using the new mailbox wizard, the entire command-line argument was displayed, and we could use this information to assist in creating shell scripts. This scripting ability will be a great benefit to administrators, especially for creating automated tasks.

Outlook For The Web: Looking Up

To help companies that plan to move away from desktop apps and enlist more Web services, Microsoft has improved OWA. With a new interface and a feature set that's nearly identical to Outlook's, this version is one of the best Webmail clients we've used. One handy feature, WebReady document viewing, converts a Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF file into HTML.

Although OWA works best with Internet Explorer 6, even non-IE users get a good experience. The Ajax-based application supports features similar to the desktop version, including access to SharePoint documents and RSS feeds. A light version, which has the essentials but lacks some of the extras, is available for Safari and Firefox users. We could send e-mail and schedule calendars in the light version, but features such as spellcheck, conversation view and quota information require the IE6 version.

Outlook's calendar capabilities have always gotten high marks, and the new version makes a good thing even better. Specifically, Outlook offers improved support for setting up meetings--not necessarily a killer upgrade, but one that gives Exchange a leg up on competing e-mail servers. A monthly calendar view shows good, fair and poor days to hold meetings, for example.Outlook Web Access also adds a new layer of protection for mobile device users, who can wipe data off smartphones and PDAs remotely. The user logs in, then opts to have a device implode upon the next synchronization. This is handy for erasing data from a lost or stolen PDA. Obviously, it will only work if the PDA is turned on and has access to an Internet connection. Furthermore, there's no mechanism for preventing users from accidentally erasing all their data. Fortunately, the wipe command doesn't erase the user's actual mailbox.

Unified Messaging 1.0

Microsoft has been a big supporter of SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), and it has pulled several unified messaging features into Exchange 2007. Some of these are available in competing unified messaging products from Alcatel, Nortel and Siemens. Exchange Server 2007 is designed to deliver voicemail, faxes and e-mail to users' inboxes and lets users access those messages by phone or the Web.

We didn't have a PBX set up to test the UM features, but will do so when the final version ships. An on-site demo highlighted a speech-recognition program that lets a user have his calendar read to him, then respond with messages such as "I'll be late." Although voicemail is supported, you can't compose e-mail messages by speech.Rather than try to take over the entire space, Microsoft is acting as a glue for partners. Exchange and Office Communicator will integrate into other UM systems, for example. We've seen Microsoft partner with other vendors such as Siemens, and we don't believe it's trying to conquer the market by force.

Time To Upgrade?

If you're running Exchange 5.5, you'll want the latest system; after all, support for problems pertaining to that version ended at the end of 2005 . Exchange 2003 users will be able to hold off for a bit, unless you need the improved Web access or want to use the UM features. Microsoft isn't supporting direct migration from 5.5 to 2007. You must migrate from 5.5 to Exchange 2003, and then again to 2007.

Although Microsoft is targeting its conventionalbase of midsize to large enterprises with this release, itwill offer a customized version for smaller businesses.Meanwhile, users with volume license discounts or sitelicenses could get the upgrade for free as part of theirexisting contracts.

Michael J. Demaria is a Technology Editor Based at NWC's Syracuse University's Real-World Labs&Reg;. Write To him At [email protected].0