Microsoft Certified Consultants

Introduction to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003
Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server delivers a reliable, scalable, and easy-to-manage platform with round-the-clock email and collaboration support as well as low cost of ownership. MS Exchange 2003 Server supports a wide array of team activities, such as group scheduling capabilities, discussion areas, and team folders, and furthermore makes available data that extends over geographic, logical, and technology divisions with productivity enhancers such as Instant Messaging, on-demand data, and video conferencing. Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server introduced enhancements over Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server in several important areas that cover security, performance, and remote access.

In 2009 Microsoft discontinued standard support for Exchange 2003, requiring IT managers to deal with all the issues associated with maintaining a legacy email platform. Despite this, most Exchange users are currently running on Exchange Server 2003. Progent's certified network engineers have extensive backgrounds supporting Exchange 2003 and can help your company manage and troubleshoot your Exchange 2003 environment or assist you in planning and executing an economical migration to a current version of Microsoft Exchange Server.

Years of background with Microsoft's messaging technology has made Progent one of the most efficient IT consulting firms in the United States for supporting email systems based on Exchange 2003 Server. Progent can help small companies take advantage of the many improvements Exchange 2003 has over previous releases of Exchange. These enhancements have helped establish Exchange 2003's loyal user base and solidify the position of Microsoft Exchange as the world's leading messaging platform.

Advantages of Exchange Server 2003 Over Exchange Server 2000
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 introduced significant improvements in functionality over Exchange 2000 Server in key areas such as disaster recovery, performance, protection, mobility, groupware, and manageability.

• MS Exchange 2003 Server delivers improved recovery by including the capability of eight-node clustering, faster cluster failover, the addition of mount points which overcome the 24-drive designation limitation, SAN compatibility, Volume Shadow Copy Service for database backup, a Mailbox Recovery Center utility, and a Restore Storage group.
• MS Exchange Server 2003 improves performance over Exchange 2000 Server via features such as /3GB and /USERVA startup switches for adjusting the allocation of memory and memory address space, public folder replication improvements, distribution list caching enhancements, and suppression of Out of Office messages.
• Security improvements offered by MS Exchange 2003 Server over Exchange 2000 include IPsec compatibility for front- and back-end clusters, signed Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) requests to Microsoft Active Directory, front-end and back-end Kerberos validation, Internet Information Services 6.0 security, limiting of distribution lists to authenticated users, real-time Safe and Block lists, inbound recipient filtering, attachment blocking in OWA, and public folders permissions improvements.
• MS Exchange Server 2003 offers improved support for remote and mobile workers by including an Outlook Web Access user interface and a more extensive range of capabilities for Web Outlook, Outlook 2003 performance enhancements through MAPI compression, HTTP access from Outlook, xHTML aND.htmL smart phone browser support, and synchronization of notifications for handheld computers.
• Management and serviceability are simplified in comparison to Microsoft Exchange 2000 by organizing queues on a per-server system, improving the user interface (UI), revealing all system queues, controlling cookie authorization, using Microsoft Exchange System Manager to transfer queue data, including a multiple-client Move Mailbox feature, and providing dynamic distribution lists, public folder Send Contents, and public folder affinity to control referrals.

• MS Exchange 2003 Server brought a significant increase in functionality compared to the Microsoft Exchange 5.5 web client. MS Exchange Server 2003 provides an almost complete implementation of the traditional MS Outlook interface including scheduling and utilities. As a result, mobile workers get the advantage of full, protected availability of email even if they don't have a laptop. All they need is an Internet-attached PC with a standard web browser.
• In contrast to Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5, which uses a built-in directory, MS Exchange 2003 Server uses Active Directory (AD), providing a greatly simplified administration and security model. This makes MS Exchange 2003 Server easier to manage and support and also offers tighter security.
• Exchange Server 2003 has a strong architecture for seamlessly adding third-party applications such as virus and spam scanning software. Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server's strong API does away with the technical risk associated with Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 when adding independent utilities.
• MS Exchange Server 2003 offers greatly increased capacity and speed over Exchange 5.5 Server. This improvement allows you to have more and larger mailboxes and speedier remote access.
• Exchange Server 2003 also has better searching ability than Exchange 5.5, saving time when you need to find critical information.

• In contrast to the store-and-forward technique used by POP3 email systems, Exchange 2003 Server uses a central-store model that frees users from reliance on a specific PC or laptop, lowers vulnerability to hardware failure or viruses, and allows both on-line and off-line email, automatic backup, and sophisticated sharing and collaboration.
• Exchange Server 2003 has an array of collaboration features that allow work groups to maximize efficiency by sharing scheduling, address books, correspondence, and files.
• The flexibility of Exchange Server 2003 makes it possible to install third-party security enhancements or accommodate wireless devices such as the RIM Blackberry smart phone.
• Exchange Server 2003 supports advanced administration and tracking tools to verify that your email environment is running smoothly.
• Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server allows on-line archiving without disrupting system performance, supporting round-the-clock availability by eliminating scheduled maintenance blackouts.

How Progent Can Help You Migrate to Exchange 2016 or Exchange 2013
Because Exchange Server 2003 is officially at end of life, many small businesses are considering migrating to a more current version of Exchange. Progent's Microsoft Exchange consultants can assist your company to migrate to Exchange 2016 or upgrade to Exchange 2013 from Exchange 2003 at minimal cost or disruption of business. Progent can assist your organization to increase the business value of your messaging solution by improving Exchange security, performance, reliability, mobility support, scalability, fault tolerance, recoverability, and ease of management. Progent's certified security specialists can evaluate and improve your security environment and Progent's Cisco-certified network engineers can upgrade your network architecture to improve network performance and reduce operating expense.

Microsoft Office 365 Integration with On-premises Exchange
Microsoft has made a strong effort to enable transparent hybrid environments that integrate Office 365 Exchange Online and on-premises installations of Exchange. This permits you to have some mailboxes located at your physical datacenter and other mailboxes resident on Office 365. Progent's Microsoft-certified Exchange consultants can assist your organization with any facet of planning, integrating and debugging your hybrid Exchange solution. Progent's Exchange specialists can deliver as-needed expertise to help you through challenging technical issues and also can provide comprehensive project management outsourcing or co-sourcing to ensure your hybrid Office 365/Exchange solution is carried out on time and within budget. To find out more about Progent's consulting support for integrating Office 365 and on-premises Exchange environments, see Office 365 integration with on-premises Exchange.

Hosting Services for Microsoft Exchange
Progent also offers MS Exchange Hosting Services based on an enterprise-class facility for Microsoft Exchange and offering high-speed Internet connectivity, dedicated firewall protection, patch and revision implementation, Help Desk services, spam and virus filtering, regular backup, continual monitoring of security and responsiveness, and comprehensive Exchange management support. While you are migrating from an older version of Exchange is a great time to consider moving to a remote managed data center to host Exchange Server 2016 or Exchange 2013 in order to save on facilities, equipment, and management costs.

Progent's Consulting Services for Microsoft Technology
For businesses of all sizes in the San Francisco Bay Area or anywhere in the U.S., Progent's Microsoft-authorized consultants offer affordable remote network help and IT consulting services for the whole family of Microsoft .NET servers. Progent can provide Windows Server 2019 upgrade consulting, Windows Server 2016 hybrid cloud solutions, Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 deployment assistance, Windows 2008 Server expertise, and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 maintenance. Progent's planning, integration, optimization, and support services cover system design, configuration, and management help for project analysis and documentation, on-site and off-site IT support and network diagnosis, Help Desk Services, comprehensive security expertise, IT outsourcing, Microsoft Exchange Server hosting, and ProSight Virtual Hosting service.

Progent also offers a wide array of remote desktop support such as Windows 10 planning and migration assistance, Windows 8.1 support, Windows 7 support, preparing for to 64-bit computing, Microsoft Office desktop and Office 365 integration, and streamlining Business Desktop Deployment.

If your business needs urgent online support from a certified network expert, visit Progent's Urgent Remote Technical Help.

Find out more about Progent's Consulting Services for Microsoft Servers.

To ask Progent about engineering help for MS Exchange Server or to ask about Progent's Microsoft Exchange hosting services, phone 1-800-993-9400 or see Contact Progent.

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