Microsoft Exchange Server Help and Technical Support

Overview of Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server
MS Exchange Server 2003 delivers a reliable, extensible, and easy-to-manage platform offering 24×7 email and collaboration as well as quick return on investment. Exchange Server 2003 enables a wide array of team functions, including group scheduling capabilities, discussion groups, and group folders, and furthermore gives access to information across geographic, organizational, and architectural barriers with features such as Instant Messaging (IM), real-time data, and video conferencing. MS Exchange Server 2003 introduced enhancements over Exchange Server 2K in important areas that cover security, speed, and remote and mobile communications.

In 2009 Microsoft terminated support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, making information technology management face the problems associated with supporting an end-of-life messaging platform. Nevertheless, many Exchange sites are now operating Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. Progent's Microsoft-authorized IT consultants offer extensive experience maintaining Exchange 2003 and can help your company to administer and troubleshoot your current Microsoft Exchange 2003 environment or assist you to design and execute an economical migration to a current edition of Microsoft Exchange. (See Progent's Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 migration planning and support and Microsoft Exchange 2019 expertise.)

Improvements of Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Compared to Microsoft Exchange 2K Server
Exchange Server 2003 offers enhancements in capability over Exchange 2K Server in important capabilities such as disaster recovery, throughput, protection, mobile access, collaboration, and simplicity of management.

• Exchange Server 2003 delivers superior disaster recovery by adding support for eight-node clustering, quicker cluster failover, support for mount points which overcome the 24-drive designation limitation, storage area network connectivity, Volume Shadow Copy Service for backup infrastructure, a Mailbox Recovery tool, and a Restore Storage group.
• Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server enhances responsiveness through innovations that include /3GB and /USERVA startup switches for tuning the allocation of use of memory address space, public folder store replication enhancements, distribution list caching enhancements, and suppression of Out of Office messages.
• Security improvements offered by Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server include IPsec compatibility for front-end and back-end clusters, signed Lightweight Directory Access Protocol requests to Microsoft Active Directory, front-end and back-end Kerberos authentication, Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 protection, restriction of distribution lists to validated users, up-to-date Safe and Block lists, download filtering, attachment blocking in Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access (OWA), and public folders permissions improvements.
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 includes improved support for remote and mobile users by including an Outlook Web Access user interface and a broader range of capabilities for Web Outlook client, Outlook performance improvements via MAPI compression, HTTP access from Microsoft Outlook, xHTML aND.htmL smart phone browser capability, plus syncing of notifications for handheld computers.
• Management and service are simplified by organizing queues on a per-server system, improving the user interface, exposing all system queues, enabling cookie permission, using Exchange System Manager to transfer log files, including a multiple-client Move Mailbox feature, and adding dynamic distribution lists, public folder Send hierarchy, and public folder affinity to control referrals.

Improvements of MS Exchange 2003 Over MS Exchange 5.5
Exchange 2003 Server offered significant enhancements in functionality over Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 in key areas affecting accessibility, manageability, security, reliability, capacity, and speed.

• MS Exchange 2003 Server brings a significant improvement in functionality compared to the MS Exchange 5.5 web client. MS Exchange Server 2003 offers a nearly identical version of the traditional Outlook interface including calendaring and utilities. Because of this, mobile users have the benefit of full, secure access to email even if they don't have a notebook. All mobile users require is a web-connected computer with a standard browser.
• Unlike Microsoft Exchange 5.5 Server, which has its own directory, MS Exchange 2003 Server utilizes Active Directory, providing a more simplified administration and protection structure. This makes Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 less expensive to manage and support and in addition offers tighter security.
• Exchange Server 2003 has a powerful foundation for transparently integrating non-Microsoft utilities including virus and spam scanning software. Exchange Server 2003's versatile Application Programming Interface (API) eliminates the technical risk often found with Exchange Server 5.5 when integrating independent software.
• MS Exchange 2003 Server delivers greatly improved capacity and performance over Exchange 5.5 Server. These improvements allow more and bigger mailboxes and speedier remote connectivity.
• Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server also provides improved searching capability, making it easier and faster to retrieve vital data when you have to have it.

Benefits Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Compared to an ISP-provided or POP3 Email System
If your business is currently running an email system hosted by an ISP or if you are operating your Microsoft Outlook users in POP3 mode, Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server offers an array of enhanced capabilities covering ease of management, responsiveness, size, availability, and collaboration:

• Unlike the store-and-forward technique utilized by POP3 email environments, Exchange Server 2003 is based on a central-store architecture that frees users from dependence on a specific desktop computer or notebook, lowers vulnerability to hardware breakdown or virus attacks, and allows both on-line and off-line email, programmed backup, and sophisticated groupware.
• Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server offers an array of collaboration features that permit teams to maximize efficiency by sharing scheduling, address books, correspondence, and data.
• The versatility of MS Exchange Server 2003 makes it possible to install non-Microsoft security add-ins or support wireless computers such as the RIM BlackBerry.
• MS Exchange Server 2003 works with advanced administration and monitoring utilities to make sure your email system is running efficiently.
• MS Exchange 2003 Server allows complete on-line backup without disrupting performance, enabling round-the-clock operation by avoiding routine downtime.

How Progent Can Help You to Move Your POP3 E-Mail Clients to Exchange 2003
Progent's background and proven methodologies can help you to manage a quick, seamless migration of your POP3 e-mail clients to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. Progent pays attention to critical issues that include coordinating domain names so that both on-site and remote users make a hassle-free transition from the limitations of POP3 email. Progent can assist you with integrating an on-site Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server solution or assist you to locate and administer your Exchange 2003 Server in an external Data Center. Progent's workplace recovery experts can help your company to create and execute a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy that incorporates Microsoft Data Protection Manager consulting for ongoing remote archiving and rapid data recovery.

How Progent Can Help You to Migrate to Exchange 2013 or Exchange 2016 from Exchange 2003
Progent's Exchange experts can assist your company to migrate to Exchange Server 2013 or migrate to MS Exchange Server 2016 from MS Exchange 2003 Server at minimal cost or disruption of business operations. Progent can assist your organization to improve Microsoft Exchange security, performance, reliability, and availability and streamline management. Progent's CISSP-certified system security consultants can evaluate and improve your security environment and Progent's Cisco-certified network consultants can enhance your network infrastructure to increase network efficiency and reduce support expense.

Microsoft 365 Integration with On-premises Exchange
Microsoft supports seamless hybrid ecosystems that integrate Microsoft 365 and local Exchange. This allows you to have certain Exchange mailboxes located at your on-premises datacenter and other mailboxes resident on Microsoft 365. Progent's Microsoft-certified Exchange consultants can help your organization with any phase of planning, implementing and debugging your hybrid Exchange network. Progent's Exchange specialists can deliver as-needed expertise to help you resolve stubborn technical bottlenecks and also offer comprehensive project management outsourcing or co-sourcing to make sure your hybrid Exchange initiative is completed on time and on budget. For details about Progent's consulting support for integrating Microsoft 365 and on-premises Exchange environments, go to Microsoft 365 integration solutions with on-prem Exchange.

Find out more about Progent's IT Outsourcing services.

In order to contact Progent about consulting support for MS Exchange Server, phone 1-800-993-9400 or see Contact Progent.