For small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area or anywhere in the U.S., Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can provide network help and professional consulting support for the whole array of Microsoft .NET Enterprise Servers, Microsoft Windows 2008 Server, and Microsoft Windows 2003 Server. Progent's planning, integration, update, and consulting services include network design, configuration, and administration help for
project analysis and documentation, on-site and off-site
IT support and network diagnosis,
Help Desk Call Center Support, certified
security consulting, turn-key
outsourcing, and
network and application server hosting options.
If your business needs urgent online help from a certified engineer, refer to Progent's Emergency Online Network Support.
Introduction to Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server
Exchange 2003 Server delivers a reliable, scalable, and easy-to-manage infrastructure offering 24×7 messaging and collaboration plus affordability. MS Exchange 2003 Server enables a wide range of team activities, including group calendaring abilities, discussion areas, and group folders, and furthermore provides access to data that crosses geographic, logical, and technology divisions with features such as Instant Messaging (IM), on-demand information, and video conferencing. MS Exchange Server 2003 introduced enhancements over Microsoft Exchange 2K Server in key technologies that address protection, performance, and mobility.
Microsoft has ended support for Exchange Server 2003, making information technology managers deal with all the issues associated with maintaining an end-of-life messaging platform. Despite this, the majority of Exchange users are currently running Exchange 2003. Progent's Microsoft Gold certified IT engineers offer in-depth backgrounds maintaining Microsoft Exchange 2003 and can assist your company to administer and troubleshoot your current Exchange Server 2003 environment or help you to plan and carry out an economical migration to an up-to-date version of Microsoft Exchange.
Years of experience with Microsoft's email technology makes Progent among the most qualified IT support firms in the U.S. or integrating messaging solutions based on MS Exchange Server 2003. Progent can assist small companies realize all the benefits Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server has compared to older editions of Microsoft Exchange. These improvements have helped establish Exchange 2003's large user base and secure the position of Exchange as the world's top messaging platform.
Improvements of Exchange 2003 Over Exchange Server 2K
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 offers improvements in capability over MS Exchange 2K Server in crucial areas such as disaster recovery, throughput, protection, mobility, collaboration, and simplicity of management.
- Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server offers enhanced disaster recovery by including support for eight-node clustering, faster failover, the addition of mount points which overcome the 24-drive designation limit, storage area network connectivity, Volume Shadow Copy Service for backup infrastructure, a Mailbox Recovery utility, and a Restore Storage group.
- Exchange Server 2003 improves responsiveness via innovations such as a /USERVA startup switch for adjusting the allocation of use of memory, public folder replication enhancements, distribution list caching enhancements, and control of Out of Office messages.
- Security enhancements offered by Exchange 2003 Server include IPSec compatibility for front- and back-end clusters, signed Lightweight Directory Access Protocol requests to Microsoft Active Directory, front- and back-end Kerberos authentication, Internet Information Services 6.0 protection, restriction of distribution lists to validated users, up-to-date Safe and Block data, download filtering, attachment restrictions in Outlook Web Access, and public folders access improvements.
- MS Exchange 2003 Server includes improved support for mobile workers by adding an Outlook Web Access user interface and a more extensive feature set for Web Outlook client, Microsoft Outlook performance enhancements through MAPI compression, HTTP access from Outlook, cHTML and HTML smart phone browser support, and syncing of notifications for handheld computers.
- Manageability and serviceability are simplified by organizing queues on a per-server system, improving the user interface (UI), revealing all system queues, controlling cookie authorization, utilizing Microsoft Exchange System Manager to transfer queue data, including a multiple-client Move Mailbox function, and providing dynamic distribution lists, public folder Send Contents, and public folder affinity to manage referrals.
Improvements of Microsoft Exchange 2003 Vs. Microsoft Exchange 5.5 Server
Exchange 2003 Server delivered significant enhancements in capability over Exchange 5.5 Server in important areas affecting access, ease of management, security, reliability, scalability, and speed.
- Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server brings a dramatic improvement in capability over the Exchange 5.5 web client. Exchange Server 2003 offers an almost complete version of the traditional Microsoft Outlook GUI interface including scheduling and tools. Because of this, remote and mobile users can have complete, protected access to email even if they don't have a notebook. All mobile users require is an Internet-connected PC with a standard browser.
- Unlike MS Exchange 5.5 Server, which has a built-in directory, MS Exchange 2003 Server utilizes Active Directory (AD), providing a more simplified administration and security model. This makes Exchange 2003 Server simpler to administer and maintain and in addition allows tighter security.
- MS Exchange Server 2003 has a powerful foundation for transparently adding third-party applications such as anti-virus and anti-spamming tools. Microsoft Exchange Server 2003's versatile Application Programming Interface does away with the technical risk associated with Microsoft Exchange 5.5 when integrating third-party utilities.
- Exchange Server 2003 offers significantly improved capacity and speed over MS Exchange 5.5 Server. Improvements include more and larger mailboxes and speedier remote connectivity.
- Exchange Server 2003 also has better searching capability, making it easier and quicker to retrieve vital information when you need it.
Advantages Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Compared to an ISP-provided or POP3 Email System
If your business is now running an email system hosted by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or if you are operating your Microsoft Outlook clients in POP3 mode, Exchange Server 2003 provides a wealth of improved capabilities covering ease of management, responsiveness, capacity, availability, and group support:
- In contrast to the store-and-forward technique used by POP3 email environments, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 uses a central-store architecture that frees users from dependence on a specific desktop computer or laptop, lowers susceptibility to computer breakdown or virus attacks, and allows both on-line and off-line operation, programmed backup, and sophisticated sharing and collaboration.
- Exchange 2003 Server offers powerful groupware capabilities that allow work groups to increase productivity by sharing scheduling, address groups, messages, and files.
- The flexibility of Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server makes it possible to integrate non-Microsoft security enhancements or accommodate wireless devices such as the BlackBerry.
- MS Exchange Server 2003 supports advanced administration and monitoring tools to verify that your email system is operating smoothly.
- Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 allows full on-line backup without disrupting performance, supporting round-the-clock availability by eliminating scheduled maintenance blackouts.
How Progent Can Assist You to Move Your POP3 E-Mail Users to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003
Progent's background and proven methodologies can enable you to manage a fast, seamless migration of your POP3 clients to Exchange Server 2003. Progent pays attention to vital issues such as managing domain names so that both on-site and mobile workers make a hassle-free upgrade from the limitations of POP3 messaging. Progent can help you with integrating an on-site Exchange Server 2003 solution or help you to locate and administer your Exchange Server 2003 in an off-site Data Center. Progent's workplace recovery experts can assist you to design and implement a comprehensive workplace recovery strategy that incorporates Microsoft Data Protection Manager support for continuous remote backup and fast system recovery.
How Progent Can Assist You Upgrade from Exchange 2K to Exchange 2007 Server or Exchange 2010 Server
Progent's Exchange experts can assist your company to move to MS Exchange 2010 Server or migrate to MS Exchange Server 2007 from Exchange 2003 at minimal cost or interruption of business. Progent can assist you to enhance Exchange security, speed, dependability, and availability and streamline administration. Progent's CISM-certified security consultants can evaluate and improve your security environment and Progent's Cisco-qualified network consultants can upgrade your network infrastructure to increase network performance and reduce support expense.
Hosting for Exchange
Progent also can provide MS Exchange Hosting and Management Services based on an enterprise-class facility for Exchange and offering fast Internet access, dedicated firewall security, patch and service pack control, Contact Center support, spam filtering, routine data backup, automated monitoring of security and performance, and full Exchange management services. While you are migrating from an earlier release of Exchange is a great time to move to a hosted environment for MS Exchange 2010 Server or MS Exchange 2007 Server so you can economize on expenses related to capital equipment, reliable infrastructure, and email administration.
Find out more about Progent's IT Outsourcing services.
To ask Progent about professional help for Microsoft Exchange Server or to ask about Progent's Exchange hosting services, call 1-800-993-9400 or email exchange-help@progent.com.
