Collaboration Features

The Exchange Server collaboration features help you to share information quickly and efficiently. Typical collaborative scenarios include maintaining shared address lists that everyone can view and edit, scheduling meetings that include people and conference rooms by viewing associated free or busy schedules, the ability to grant other people, such as administrators, access to your mailbox on your behalf. You can also manage "rules" for processing messages on Exchange Server, giving you the flexibility to create auto-responses and automatic filing of incoming messages. For maximum collaboration productivity, choose the combination of Exchange Server 2003 and Outlook 2003.

Pervasive Productivity Scenarios

The flexible options for information access and the new ways to stay connected enable knowledge workers to be more productive and in control when and how they communicate.

• Mobile workers, such as sales and service staff using portable computers and running Outlook 2003 over a wireless network, are free to roam and communicate. No longer tethered to a cable, they can check their e-mail messages, look up their contacts and schedules, and continue to communicate with their customers, partners, and co-workers wherever and whenever they choose-in the car, at their customer's location, or even at the airport. Outlook 2003 is designed to work over slow and poor network connections: Mobile workers are shielded from network issues and can continue working with their Exchange Server information while Exchange Server and Outlook use the available network resources.
• Remote workers can work at home, a remote office, a customer site, an 802.11 hot spot such as their local Internet café, and can start Outlook or use Outlook Web Access from any Internet-connected computer to gain security-enhanced access to Exchange Server. Outlook Web Access adds more freedom by enabling them to stay in touch through Exchange Server without their own portable computer. Outlook Web Access extends the latest features in Exchange Server 2003 to any browser-based computer, including non-Microsoft operating systems. And because Outlook Web Access doesn't need installation, your IT departments can reduce support costs.
• Travelling executives can run Outlook 2003 from their hotel or between flight connections over a dial-up line and synchronize their e-mail messages. With the latest synchronized Exchange Server data, they can continue working offline until their next opportunity to dial in and reconnect. Outlook 2003 and Exchange Server 2003 help them to be productive online and offline.

Client access functionality

Exchange Server offers you integrated collaborative messaging features such as scheduling, contact, and task management capabilities. Exchange Server 2003 runs on the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system. Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 runs on Windows-based computers and communicates with the server running Exchange Server through the MAPI protocol that includes powerful messaging and rich collaboration capabilities. Exchange Server also accommodates other client access through its support for Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) and Internet Message Access Protocol 4 (IMAP4) protocols as well as support for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). Microsoft Outlook Web Access, a service in Exchange Server, accommodates what are known as thin clients (Web browser-based access clients).

Mobile access functionality

Exchange Server 2003 supports mobile devices such as Pocket PC and Smart phones and enables you to synchronize your Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts and Tasks lists so you can remotely check your appointments and other important information. Mobile device browsers are also supported through Exchange Outlook Mobile Access, which enables HTML, compressed HTML (CHTML), and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) browser-based devices to access Exchange Server.

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