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Networking: A Beginner's Guide
M
icrosoft offers a number of specialized server systems, including the widely
used Exchange Server application. Exchange Server is Microsoft's e-mail
solution, and it is designed to be able to handle virtually any organization's
e-mail needs.
This chapter introduces Exchange Server. You learn how to install it, perform
basic configuration tasks, and access a mailbox using Exchange Server's Web Outlook
functionality.
Exchange Server 2010 Features
Exchange Server is a comprehensive e-mail solution for organizations of all sizes, from
small companies to large multinational conglomerates. It is highly reliable and scalable,
and has been in very wide use for many years. Some of Exchange Server's features
include the following:
Numerous access methods for users to get to their e-mail, including from an
e-mail client application such as Microsoft Outlook, a mobile device (like the
BlackBerry or iPhone), a web browser, and even a voice-response system
Unified Messaging, in which not only e-mail messages are delivered to users
inboxes, but also voicemail messages and faxes
Support for collaborative features such as calendaring, shared resource
scheduling (such as conference rooms or equipment), meeting scheduling, and
out-of-office notifications
Support for user-defined rules that allow for the automation of routine e-mail
tasks
TIP
Automating e-mail tasks can be very useful. For instance, you could set up an human
resources department mailbox to which employment applicants send their resumes, and on receipt
of each resume, the server responds to the sender with an immediate acknowledgment. It might
also forward the resumes to appropriate personnel automatically.
Close integration with Active Directory, which means that you can maintain
user accounts, and their associated mailboxes, in one centralized place
Some antispam and antivirus technologies, and easy addition of third-party
add-on software for these tasks