Connecting Exchange Server to a POP3 Account

Downloading mail from a POP account into Exchange Server in general is not a supported configuration (though you wouldn't know it from the proliferation of tools to accomplish this). However, Microsoft does provide an Exchange Connector for POP3 Mailboxes for Small Business Server, having licensed Internet Mailbridge from Acotec. It's still not a supported configuration for full Exchange Server.

I'd suggest that you read about both sides of this issue. If you decide to try this route, there are plenty of tools to choose from. Features common to all POP3 collectors include the ability to POP mail from multiple servers and from multiple mailboxes. You'll also be able to control how often it checks for new mail in the POP3 accounts and limit it to downloading new mail during specific hours, such as only during business hours. All of the commercial POP3 connectors should be able to deliver mail to any SMTP address, including mail-enabled Public Folders.

Many of these tools support these forms of POP3 collection:

• One-to-one, which collects mail from a single POP3 mailbox and sends it to a specific SMTP address
• Many-to-one, which collects mail from multiple POP3 mailboxes and sends it to single SMTP address
• One-to-many, which collects mail from single 'catch-all' POP3 mailbox and sends it to multiple SMTP addresses

Note that the one-to-many collection method fails when messages are BCC'd to users.

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