MS Exchange 2003 Server Support: Planning, Installation, Migration, and Troubleshooting
Overview of Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server
Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server delivers a reliable, extensible, and manageable platform offering 24×7 messaging and collaboration plus low cost of ownership. Exchange Server 2003 supports a broad range of collaborative functions, including group scheduling capabilities, discussion areas, and group folders, and furthermore provides access to information that extends over territorial, organizational, and architectural barriers with productivity enhancers such as Instant Messaging, real-time data, and video conferencing. Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 offers improvements over Exchange 2K Server in many key technologies that address security, performance, and remote and mobile communications.
Extensive experience working with Microsoft's email technology makes Progent among the most effective network consulting companies in the Northern California and major cities nationwide for supporting email environments based on MS Exchange Server 2003. Progent can assist small companies realize the full benefits of Exchange Server 2003 under these typical scenarios:
Moving from Microsoft Exchange 5.5 Server
MS Exchange 2003 Server offers significant enhancements in capability over MS Exchange Server 5.5 in important areas including accessibility, manageability, protection, stability, capacity, and speed.
Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server offers a dramatic increase in functionality compared to the Microsoft Exchange 5.5 web client. Exchange Server 2003 offers a nearly identical version of the popular MS Outlook graphical user interface that features calendaring and utilities. Because of this remote and mobile users get the advantage of full, protected availability of email even if they don't have a laptop. All mobile users need is a web-interfaced computer with a conventional browser.
Unlike MS Exchange 5.5 Server, which has a built-in directory, MS Exchange Server 2003 uses Active Directory, providing a more streamlined administration and security structure. This makes MS Exchange Server 2003 more efficient to administer and support and also offers tighter security.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 has a powerful architecture for seamlessly integrating third-party applications including anti-virus and anti-spamming software. Exchange 2003 Server's versatile Application Programming Interface does away with the instability associated with MS Exchange 5.5 Server when adding independent software.
Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server offers greatly improved scalability and speed in comparison to Exchange Server 5.5. This means that you can benefit from more and larger mailboxes and faster offsite access.
Upgrading to MS Exchange Server 2003 also brings improved search ability, making it faster to find important data when you have to have it.
Benefits of Updating from MS Exchange Server 2K
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 offers enhancements in functionality over MS Exchange 2K Server in key capabilities such as recovery, performance, security, mobility, team computing, and manageability.
Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server delivers enhanced disaster recovery by including the capability of 8-node clustering, cluster failover performance enhancements, the addition of mount points which eliminate the 24-drive designation limit, SAN connectivity, Volume Shadow Copy Service for backup infrastructure, a Mailbox Recovery utility, and a Restore Storage group.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 enhances performance via improvements such as /3GB and /USERVA startup switches for adjusting the use of memory, public folder store replication improvements, distribution list performance improvements, and control of Out of Office notices.
Security improvements offered by Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server include IPSec support for front- and back-end clusters, signed Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) requests to Active Directory, front-end and back-end Kerberos validation, IIS 6.0 protection, restriction of distribution lists to authenticated users, real-time Safe and Block lists, download filtering, attachment blocking in Outlook Web Access, and public folders access enhancements for unfamiliar users.
MS Exchange 2003 Server offers better accommodation of mobile workers by including an Outlook Web Access user interface (UI) and a broader feature set for Web Outlook, Microsoft Outlook speed enhancements via MAPI compression, HTTP compatibility from Outlook, xHTML and HTML smart phone browser capability, and up-to-date syncing of notifications for handheld computers.
Manageability and serviceability are simplified by organizing queues on a per-server basis, enhancing the user interface (UI), exposing all system queues, controlling cookie authorization, utilizing Microsoft Exchange System Manager to move queue data, including a multi-user Move Mailbox feature, and adding dynamic distribution lists, public folder Send Contents, and public folder affinity to manage referrals.
How Progent Can Help You to Move to MS Exchange 2003 Server
Using field-proven best practices, Progent's expert consultants can help you to design and execute an effective in-place upgrade plan that minimizes business disruption, reduces long-term support requirements, and makes your Microsoft Exchange 2003 solution easy to manage. For complex multi-server or geographically dispersed migrations, Progent has the experience to finish your move on schedule and within your budget. Progent's Exchange help, repair, and consulting services include expertise on the configuration of third-party add-on products that are best aligned to your business strategy.
Benefits of Migration to Exchange 2003 Server from an ISP-provided or POP3 Email Environment
If your business is currently using an email environment hosted by an Internet Service Provider or if you are running your Microsoft Outlook users in POP3 mode, MS Exchange 2003 Server offers an array of enhanced features in the areas of ease of management, responsiveness, size, availability, and collaboration:
In contrast to the store-and-forward technique used by POP3 email systems, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 is based on a central-store model that frees users from dependence on a specific personal computer or laptop, lowers susceptibility to computer breakdown or virus attacks, and permits both on-line and off-line operation, programmed backup, and advanced groupware.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 offers an array of collaboration capabilities that permit work groups to increase productivity by sharing scheduling, address books, messages, and data.
The flexibility of Exchange 2003 Server makes it possible to integrate non-Microsoft security add-ins or support wireless devices such as the RIM Blackberry wireless handheld.
Exchange 2003 Server works with powerful management and monitoring utilities so you can make sure your email system is operating smoothly.
MS Exchange 2003 Server permits full on-line backup without disrupting workers, supporting 24x7 availability by eliminating scheduled downtime.
How Progent Can Help You to Move from a POP3 Email Environment
Progent's experience and proven best practices can help you to manage a quick, seamless migration to Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server. Progent attends to critical issues such as managing domain names so that both on-site and off-site workers enjoy a smooth transition from the limitations of POP3 messaging. Progent can assist you with setting up an on-site Exchange 2003 Server solution or assist you to locate and manage your Exchange 2003 Server in an external Data Center. Progent's security consultants can show you how to create a comprehensive security strategy that incorporates a safe email environment.
Hosting Services for Exchange
Progent also offers Microsoft Exchange Hosting and Management Services centered around on an enterprise-class facility for Exchange and featuring fast Internet connectivity, firewall protection, patch and service pack implementation, Help Desk Call Center support, spam and virus filtering, routine backup, automated monitoring of security and responsiveness, and full email administration services. When moving from an older version of Microsoft Exchange is a great time to consider moving to a hosted data center for Exchange 2007 Server in order to save on expenses related to computer hardware, reliable infrastructure, and email administration.
Progent's Consulting Services for Microsoft Technology
For small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Jose, or anywhere in the U.S., Progent's Microsoft-authorized consultants can provide computer assistance and professional consulting services for the entire array of Microsoft .NET servers, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 2003 Server. Progent's migration, installation, optimization, and support capabilities cover system design, deployment, and management outsourcing for
project management and documentation, local and remote
technical help and system diagnosis,
Help Desk Call Center Support, comprehensive
security consulting, turn-key
outsourcing, and
hosting services.
To contact Progent about consulting help for Exchange Server integration or to learn more about Progent's Microsoft Exchange hosting services, phone 1-800-993-9400 or e-mail exchange-help@progent.com.
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