Exchange 2003 Server Upgrade to Exchange 2010 ServerMigrating and Upgrading Exchange 2003 Server to Exchange 2010 ServerMicrosoft Certified Partner Provides Nationwide Assistance - Exchange 2003 Server Upgrade to Exchange 2010 Server
Notice: As of April 14, 2009 Microsoft will not provide support for Windows 2003 Server and Exchange 2003 Server—these products are officially “retired” by Microsoft—Exiis Corporation will continue to support both products until June 30, 2015.
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Exchange 2003 Server Upgrade to Exchange 2010 Server
Businesses and organizations that plan an Exchange 2003 Server upgrade to Exchange 2010 Server have many options to consider. From a strict e-mail perspective, Exchange 2003 Server is still very much alive and viable in many Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2003 Server environments. Exchange 2003 Server Organizations that are functioning well, with little or no interruption and that deliver basic e-mail communication services to remote users and mobile devices can continue to exist and operate for many years. On the other hand, if an existing organization is experiencing e-mail interruptions, are having difficulties interoperating with newer applications, need to take advantage of advanced mobility features, or have a homogenous client base consisting of several client operating systems, then the expansion and upgrade from Exchange 2003 Server to Exchange 2010 Server is certainly a viable option to consider.
For organizations and businesses that are moving towards Microsoft Windows 2008 Server environments, the opportunity to upgrade Exchange 2003 Server to Exchange 2010 Server has never been better. For many organizations, waiting for Exchange 2007 Server to mature and work out the “bugs” associated with a new application has passed. Exchange 2010 Server offers additional improvements over Exchange 2007 Server including better user management, increased availability, reliability, and enhanced security features that make Exchange 2010 Server the premier Unified Messaging solution. New businesses and organizations that are considering migrating outsourced POP3 services internally will find that Exchange 2010 Server will increase your productivity by providing a stable, reliable messaging platform where users can collaborate, share ideas, calendars, and tasks.
The core services provided by Exchange 2010 Server includes many enhancements over Exchange 2003 Server. For example, Exchange 2010 Server completely integrates all of your IP enabled devices into a centrally located and managed environment. Exchange 2010 Server provides a “Universal Inbox” for network users, delivering Voice Mail, FAXES, e-mails, Instant Messaging, and other electronic messaging services directly to the Microsoft Outlook client application. From within Microsoft Outlook, users can check their voice messages, schedule meetings, assign tasks and much more without ever having to leave the desktop environment, which allows users to be more productive, eliminates costly third-party software solutions, an lowers the over-all operational costs associated with IT services.
Increased Mobility Features of Exchange 2010 Server
Exchange 2010 natively supports many remote user environments, which includes the Microsoft Outlook Anywhere client application, Blackberry Cell Phones, Windows Mobile Devices, and Smart Phones. By upgrading from Exchange 2003 Server to Exchange 2010 Server, businesses and organizations receive immediate mobility features, enhanced security options, and complete control over their entire messaging environment.
Microsoft “Active Sync” technologies, introduced with Exchange 2000 Server, have been improved to include a tighter integration with Windows Mobile devices. A new process introduced with Exchange 2007 Server, the “Auto Discover” service, allows remote users to enter their Exchange 2010 Server mailbox information, such as their e-mail address and password during their client set-up process. Once the user’s information is entered, Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mobile Devices, and other Windows-enabled mobile devices search the Internet for configuration settings related to your Exchange 2010 Server environment. Once the “AutoDiscover” DNS Service record is located, the client is directed to your Exchange 2010 Server which provides all the information necessary to install and configure the client automatically.
Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) now responds to web-enabled Internet browsers such as Firefox and Safari. In the past, Exchange 2003 Server and even as recently as Exchange 2007 Server required Internet Explorer to connect to Outlook Web Access services. Exchange 2010 Server has eliminated its reliance and removed the restrictions once associated with Outlook Web Access; allowing a variety of users to connect without having to be tied to a specific web browser. This improvement allows businesses and organizations to create mail-enabled Exchange 2010 Server accounts for end-users without the need to install the Microsoft Outlook Client or even a Microsoft Windows Operating System. In homogenous networks, this means users can use a LINUX or Apple Macintosh desktop computer while still participating in the Exchange 2010 Server Organization. Mobility features available in Exchange 2010 Server environments also include common network protocol support for legacy IMAP and POP3 clients who use applications or mobile devices that do not support the newer technologies offered in Exchange 2010 Server. This means organizations can continue to support legacy and lower-end products while maintaining communication processes with remote users.
Security has been both tightened and relaxed as network administrators are now able to allow end-users to change information contained in the Global Address List through Outlook Web Access and the Microsoft Outlook client. In the past, users needing to change or update their contact information required a call to the Help Desk or network administrator. Mundane changes such as a new phone number or a change of address do not represent a security threat and really shouldn’t involve two or three persons to be involved. Now, Exchange 2010 Server allows these changes to be made by the end-user themselves, eliminating unnecessary work by network administrators, increases the accuracy of the information provided, and, depending on the abilities of other network applications, replicates these changes throughout the organization. This means other applications that use the user’s information, such as payroll and human resources, automatically receive and change the information without further intervention.
Tighter Integration with IP Telecom and Network Resources
Many organizations are familiar with the ever-popular Cisco Call Manager software which intercepts voice mail messages and delivers them to the end-users Exchange 2003 Outlook Inbox. Cisco Call Manager is a third-party application and add-on solution that is efficient by design, but it is not native to the Exchange Server environment. In Exchange 2007 and continued in Exchange 2010, the ability to connect and interact with telecom devices was introduced, allowing voicemail to be captured by Exchange 2010 and delivered directly to the users Inbox—the result—less operational costs and add-on fees associated with having to purchase Cisco Call Manager as an add-on cost to the clients phone system. The added feature also includes tighter integration with remote users and mobile clients as well, allowing users who are out of the office to manage all their important calendar, task, voice, and e-mail messages from one centralized location. It is important to note however that Microsoft FAX services are not integrated with the latest edition of Exchange 2010. The decision to remove FAX services came as a result of more and more organizations utilizing e-mail and third-party software such as Adobe Acrobat to send and receive important e-mail messages, eliminating the need for FAX services in Exchange 2010. Removing FAX services remains an on-going debate that has yet to be settled in the Microsoft Exchange community as there are plenty of businesses that still use FAX as a primary form of communication to receive purchase orders, legal documents, and signed contracts. While the fate of FAX services appears to remain a dead issue in Exchange 2010, it’s important to note earlier decisions by Microsoft have oftentimes been reversed and rescinded, such as in the case of providing backup software with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. With Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft released Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 2 which included the ability to “hook” into Windows 2008 Server Backup—perhaps we will see another reversal in the future when it comes to Microsoft Exchange 2010 FAX services.
Exchange 2010 Edge Server Security
For larger organizations that utilize Exchange 2003 Bridgehead Servers, the new Exchange Server role known as the “Edge Server Role” replaced the legacy Bridgehead Server or the Front-End/Back-End concept introduced during the roll-out of Exchange 2000 Server environments. Bridgehead Servers essentially capture incoming e-mail communications and act more or less as a “proxy” server sitting in the organizations DMZ zone. Messages are retrieved by the Bridgehead Server and routed internally and again externally between the internal Exchange 2000 Server or the Exchange 2003 Server. Exchange 2007 Edge Servers and Exchange 2010 Edge Servers come with advanced filtering and routing processes that perform complex routing calculations and authorization before allowing e-mail into the organization. For example, both Exchange 2007 Edge Server and Exchange 2010 Edge Server examine incoming e-mail headers for messages addressed to users in the environment. The process utilizes the Edge Server in the DMZ which then, through secure and encrypted communication, will query the existing Active Directory Users to see if a match has occurred. Once a user in the Active Directory is found, the e-mail is then delivered to the Hub Transport Server for further processing—if the user does not have a valid mailbox in the environment, the messages is then discarded or forwarded to another user for further review. The ability to lookup and confirm Active Directory Users with valid mailboxes significantly reduces the amount of SPAM mail that enters the organization. In addition to Active Directory lookups, the Microsoft Exchange 2010 Edge Server performs other functions as well, such as reverse lookup against well established “Blacklists” such as SORBS, RBL, and SPAMCOP. Message hygiene is also performed on the Exchange 2010 Edge Server which relieves the other Exchange 2010 Servers from having to perform recourse intensive processes associated with SPAM and content filtering. When combined with other applications such as Microsoft ForeFront Security for Exchange, businesses and organizations are protected from viruses, SPAM, and malicious Internet-based e-mail attacks.
The Exiis Difference
Exiis Corporation combines the talents of Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers (MCSE), Cisco Certified Internet Engineers (CCIE), system security specialists, experienced business consultants, and professional project managers to deliver the perfect Unified Messaging environment, regardless of your organizations size or location. Our world-class 24X7 Professional Call Center provides help-desk style support at all levels within the organization—from end-users to senior IT managers. We provide additional technology planning, design, and deployment options with other Microsoft Products and Technologies, such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) and Microsoft Dynamics products. With such a diverse and specialized group of professionals, Exiis Corporation will certainly become a trusted and valuable partner you can rely upon.