On December 7, Exchange Server 2007 was released to manufacturing.
Over the next several months, administrators will be busy migrating
their mail systems, making plans to migrate, or weighing the costs
of migrating. Because Exchange server is 64 bit only and it's not as
simple as upgrading the previous version, migrating shouldn't be
attempted without thorough planning, but it is well worth it in the
end.
Exchange 2007 offers many new and improved features which make it a
good investment. From the cost stand point, it was designed to offer
reliable mail service at a lower total cost, better redundancy, and
fast recovery. Improvements in mobility and unified messaging offer
a lower TCO and improved manageability, while making employees more
productive with access to voice, email, and fax in their Inbox from
anywhere on a variety of mobile devices or through Outlook Web
Access.
End users are not the only ones who can be more productive with
Exchange 2007 - the new command line interface has the potential to
save administrators time and effort. Yes, it takes some getting used
to, but in the end, you will be able to do more, faster.
Administrators will have an easier time ensuring compliance with
corporate and legal requirements, thanks to retention rules and
journaling. Exchange 2007 includes more security and protection from
viruses, spam, and phishing attempts, on the server side and in OWA.
Autodiscover creates an automatic connection between Outlook 2007
and Exchange 2007 which should reduce the support needed when adding
new users.
To sign up for an evaluation version of Exchange 2007, visit
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/default.mspx Much of the Exchange community is in an uproar over client licensing
for Exchange. Whether it makes a difference for many sites remains
to be seen, since it appears only sites that don't license Office
2007 suite or subscribe to Software Assurance will be affected. One
thing is for sure, it's not as straightforward as past versions,
where the Exchange CAL included the rights to the current version of
Outlook. While it may be disappointing to sites that don't subscribe
to SA, they'll have fewer support issues when using the same
versions of Office and Outlook.
From the Exchange server volume licensing page found at
http://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/userights/ProductPage.aspx?pid=111
'Exchange Server 2007
Outlook 2007 grant for Exchange Server 2003 CAL customers
Unlike prior versions, Exchange Server 2007 Standard or
Enterprise does not include the right to install Outlook on
devices for which CALs are obtained. However, for each Exchange
Server CAL, Core CAL Suite or Enterprise CAL Suite with active
Software Assurance coverage as of November 30, 2006, customers
will be granted one Office Outlook 2007 license. The right to
use Outlook under that license expires upon expiration of the
corresponding CAL. Use of Outlook under this offering is subject
to the customers' license agreement and the product use rights
for that product. If Software Assurance coverage on the
corresponding CAL is maintained continuously (i.e., renewed with
no lapse in coverage), and one later version of Office Outlook
(i.e., N+1, where N=Office Outlook 2007) is made available prior
to the expiration of that coverage, customers' license will be
for that version instead. Alternatively, customers are eligible
to acquire Software Assurance coverage for that Office Outlook
license, provided that coverage is acquired by February 28,
2007. Customers who wish to acquire Software Assurance coverage
for Office Outlook after that date must first acquire a new
license for the version of Office Outlook that is current at the
time coverage is acquired. "
Whatever happened to simplified licensing agreements?
After installing Office 2007, one issue which affects some users is
the lack of spell check in Outlook Express. Or more precisely, only
the French dictionary is available for spell check. This happens
because Outlook Express can't use the new proofing tools that ship
with Office 2007. It's easy to fix: install just the proofing tools
from your previous version of Office (using the custom install
option). You can get them from any older Office suite or application
- including FrontPage, Publisher or standalone versions of Word,
Excel, or Outlook.
To install just the proofing tools from Office 2003, run Office
setup and choose the custom option. Uncheck all programs in the list
and add a check to choose the options at the bottom of the programs
list. No the nest screen, set each top level item to be Not
Available (red X icon). Expand the Office Shared Features branch and
locate Proofing tools in the list. Expand proofing tools and choose
English, setting it to Run from my computer. Finish the
installation.
Once installed, restart OE - go to Tools, Options and verify
Spelling is configured to use the correct English dictionary.
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