Greetings! Welcome to issue #7 of Exchange Center Update, an occasional newsletter about Microsoft Exchange, both for users of Windows 95 and NT 4.0 and for organizations using Exchange Server.

Today's highlights:

Regular features:

Exchange Server Service Pack 3

The third service pack for Exchange Server is now available at the Microsoft ftp site. Look in ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/exchange/exchange-public/fixes/Eng/Exchg4.0/Sp3/ (English version). This update contains an important fix for the Internet Mail Connector (available separately, too) and fixes for a number of other issues. Check the readme.txt to find out if you need this update.

Note that this is a "delta" update. It must be installed over Service Pack 2.

Personal Fax for Windows NT

Personal Fax for Windows NT is a Microsoft program for sending faxes from a computer running Windows NT 4.0. It is currently in beta as a "technology preview." Installed as a service in NT, Personal Fax allows you to send faxes either from Windows Messaging (or Microsoft Exchange), through a separate Fax Send wizard or by printing to a fax printer from any application. A cover page editor is included. Though the current release is for single users only (no network fax server), it already has many of the features missing from Microsoft Fax – such as top of the page banners, logging, and archiving of sent faxes. To see what other people are saying about Personal Fax, visit the new microsoft.public.windowsnt.personalfax newsgroup.

I've started an FAQ for Personal Fax to address the many questions about features and setup. This is definitely beta software, and Microsoft is responding to bug reports.

New POP3/SMTP transport: ExpressMail

There's certainly room for another Internet mail transport for Exchange, especially for those of you with more than one mail account. Here's the latest: ExpressMail from OpenSoft. The freeware version will be updated soon to add UUENCODE (right now it does only MIME) and fix a few problems. I haven't finished evaluating the shareware version, but it has some potentially very exciting features:

There are some problems with S/MIME interoperability with Secure Messenger and a few other glitches, but the folks at OpenSoft seem responsive and eager to make this product work. They also have Internet mail server and certificate server products.

Other new Exchange software

New transport provider:
Palmeta Mail for the Pilot handheld computer

Updated:
ExLife (Inbox and Outbox folder rules, signature)

Added to the Exchange Center Gallery:
CS2Exchange -- To convert WinCIM filing cabinets and addresses
E-mail Exchanger -- For automatic unattended retrieval
MailFlag -- For enhanced message notifications and reminders

Exchange Design Resources page

If you who want to learn more about developing applications for Exchange, check out my new Exchange Design Resources page. You'll find links to Microsoft reference materials, books, tips, and samples.

Migrating to Exchange

Once you decide to move to Exchange, how do you maintain access to your old mail messages and addresses? I've added a page on Converting Messages and Addresses to try to guide you.

Microsoft Outlook update

Microsoft has updated the Outlook page at http://www.microsoft.com/outlook. If you have time, I'd particularly recommend downloading the 3mb Product Enhancement Guide, with descriptions and screen shots of the many new features coming in Microsoft Outlook.

Exchange Center Wish List

I looked over the list this week and found that many of your wishes have been fulfilled! Here's a rundown:

Direct OCR of Microsoft Fax .awd files
CFax Pro For-A-Change (no longer available as of 7/97)
Cuneiform 2.0 -- http://commerce2.best.com/~ctc/html/cunei20.htm
OmniPage Pro -- http://www.caere.com/live/content/products/amaretto/amaretto.htm

Get mail from multiple POP3 accounts
netApps Internet Series (handles multiple accounts)-- http://www.nemx.com
Netscape Internet Mail Transport (from Navigator 2.0, handles one account)
OpenSoft ExpressMail (one account) -- http://www.opensoft.com/products/expressmail/

Automatic printing of incoming faxes or other messages
PrintFax -- http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/printfax.htm
Launcher & ExPrint (work with Inbox Assistant) -- ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/TechNet/samples/BOES/BO/MAILEXCH/exchange/appfarm/

Automatically move sent items into user-designated folders
ExLife -- http://www.mokry.cz/windows/exchange

Resend button to retransmit from Sent Items
Resend Extension -- http://ems1.uwsp.edu/client_ext/

Keep those wishes coming!

FAQ review

Five FAQs are available at my Exchange Center site, dealing with various client issues and the new Personal Fax for Windows NT service:

The Windows Messaging and Exchange Server client FAQs deal with basic installation, configuration and bug issues. For the nitty-gritty on how different services like Microsoft Fax, CompuServe Mail, etc. work within Exchange/Windows Messaging, you need the Exchange Client FAQ.

Other FAQs of note:

About this newsletter

ISSN 1523-7990
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