Greetings! Welcome to Vol. 2, No. 7 of Exchange Messaging Outlook (formerly Exchange Center Update), an occasional newsletter about Microsoft Exchange, Windows Messaging and Microsoft Outlook, both for users of Windows 95 and NT 4.0 and for organizations using Microsoft Exchange Server.
A special "hello" to everyone who will be attending the Microsoft Exchange Conference '97. I'll be there with you in spirit, while physically attending a Windows expo here in Moscow. Why don't you drop me a note at mec97@slipstick.com about the exciting things you see at MEC '97, so we can have a report in the next issue of EMO?
Our thanks and appreciation go out to the editors of PC World magazine, whose October issue described the Slipstick Systems Exchange Center as "the premier source of Outlook 97 advice." But you knew that already, right?
Today's highlights:
Regular features:
Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 + Outlook 8.03
A release candidate (beta) of Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 (Osmium) can be downloaded for evaluation from http://register.microsoft.com/regwiz/wiz188.asp. New features include expanded information store capacity, IMAP4 and LDAP v3 support, a Lotus Notes connector, server-side scripting, plus Outlook clients for Windows 3.x and Macintosh (not available for beta download, though). For a complete list, see http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/general/exchange55features.htm.
For Outlook users, version 8.03 is included, with these new features:
All these featues require Exchange Server 5.5. What that means is that, if you don't have 5.5 on the backend, you don't need 8.03 on the front end.
It looks like we won't have to wait until Windows NT 5.0 to get an NT-based fax server from Microsoft. The Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (http://www.microsoft.com/backofficesmallbiz/) is designed for offices with no more than 25 workstations. It includes not just Windows NT Server, but Microsoft Exchange Server, Fax Server, modem sharing and lots, lots more.
Pricing hasn't been set yet, but if it's right, this might be the answer for all the smallish organizations that were shocked to find out that they couldn't share Microsoft Outlook calendars or contacts without Microsoft Exchange Server. What's it worth to you? Is there a price that's right for SBS? Read about SBS features, then drop me a note at sbs@slipstick.com with your estimate as to how a product like this should be priced for the small office. We'll average the estimates in the next issue.
On a related topic, see the New and updated utilities section for new FAXserve for Windows NT software in beta from Cheyenne.
As usual with Microsoft Outlook 97, there's more than one way to accomplish a task. So, it's fun to see two totally different and creative approaches to the issue of generating random signatures for the messages you send.
Signature Fortune Cookie (no longer available) cycles through multiple .rtf files, so you can add formatting, even graphics, to your signatures.
AutoSign does it all in Outlook. After you create sets of signatures using Notes folders, you can assign any of those sets of signatures to a Rules Wizard rule for sent items. That's right -- AutoSign is a custom action!
Quick access to team calendars
Many Outlook users have discovered that being able to open a colleague's calendar with File | Open Special Folder | Exchange Server Folder doesn't mean that you can add that folder to your Outlook Bar. In fact, the only folders that can be added to the Outlook Bar are those that appear in the Folder List.
We found another way, though, to organize a bunch of user calendars within Outlook. Have each person on your team drag their calendar to the desktop to create a shortcut. Then e-mail that shortcut to everyone on the team. Each team member can save the shortcuts into a system folder, then drag that folder to the Outlook Bar. Voila! You'll have one folder to open all the calendars for everyone on your team.
For variations on this technique, see Using Microsoft Outlook Links at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/ollinks.htm. This article also tells how to put hyperlinks to public folders in your Outlook messages.
MailMachine
Utility for processing Inbox messages based on a schedule. Combine with an automatic retrieval utility (see http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/client5.htm#notify) to have messages processed when you're not there, without loading Exchange.
http://www.vclab.com/mailmachine.htmWinUUCP/XP
MAPI transport to send and receive e-mail with the UUCP protocol.
http://www.sph.ru/wuucpxp/enu/features.htmInforMe!
List server/automatic reply add-on for Microsoft Exchange Server.
http://www.ntpsoftware.com/if_m.htmListServer
List server/automatic reply add-on for Microsoft Exchange Server
http://www.reddfish.co.nz/reddfish/listserver.htmMy Schedule
Outlook utility to send e-mail reminders from Calendar appointments (beta)
http://www.markchavez.com/myschedule/myschedule.htmCardScan
This utility for scanning business cards now has a transfer script for moving information from the CardScan data file into Microsoft Outlook Contacts.
http://www.corex.com/MobileCHOICE for Microsoft Outlook
Adds a "New Message to Contact's Pager" command; it comes in both a free Limited Edition and a Professional Edition supporting reminders, automatic message forwarding and message splitting.
http://www.mobilechoice.com/outlook/Resolve E-mail Address Utility
For Microsoft Outlook, resolves imported e-mail addresses in Contacts records so that they become available to the Address Book
http://www.chapura.com/downloads.htmlCaPrint, CaRedirect and CaSave
Three new custom actions for Internet Assistant or Outlook Rules Wizard to automatically print messages, redirect them to other recipients (requires CaRedirect or ExLife for the receiver) or save the attachment to a system folder.
http://www.mokry.cz/exchange/Pelican Messenger
Redirects incoming messages and faxes to other e-mail addresses, fax recipients. Can also be configured to read messages over the phone (with addition of a text-to-speech component) or redirect mail to CGI-based messaging services for relay to pager or GSM mobile phone.
http://www.pelican.co.nz/messenger/messenger.htmFAXserve for Windows NT
Independent fax server (doesn't require Microsoft Exchange Server) compatible with Outlook and Exchange clients.
http://www.cheyenne.com/cgi-bin/beta/disclaimer.cgi?faxnt (beta registration)Chilton Preview
Version 0.4 adds QuickView for attachments, search and optional rich-text viewing to this popular preview pane add-in for Microsoft Outlook.
http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/gallery.htm#preview@MailGate
Formerly Pop2Mapi. Adds autoresponders and Internet forwarding to this add-on for workgroup-based Internet mail.
http://titian.terabit.net/software/@mailgate/index.htmPatch for PGP 5.0
Corrects problems with message truncation by replacing the Pgpexch.dll file.
http://www.pgp.com/service/export/techfaq-win.cgi (export-controlled U.S. and Canadian version)
http://www.privacy.com.au/ (non-export-controlled update)LanFax NT 5.0 Service Pack 1.0
Adds support for multiple local area codes, support for GAL and Outlook Contacts entries with FAX e-mail type, adds Alcom LanFax address book to the MAPI client.
http://www.alcom.com/lfnt50/srvpack.aspOffice 97 Service Release 1 - International English version
Includes the Outlook 8.02 update. See our exclusive What to Get chart at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/ol802.htm#get to make sure you get the right version for your system.
Get the answers from the Microsoft Exchange, Windows Messaging and Microsoft Outlook FAQs at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/faqs.htm.
The Microsoft Outlook FAQ has a Table of Contents at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/outlfaq.htm to help you find answers faster. New and updated items are at the bottom of the page.
Ask new questions and provide other feedback for the Slipstick Systems Exchange Center FAQs at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/faqfdbk.htm.
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