Microsoft outlook

[Ngoh Chean Siung]

Hi,

I plan to use microsoft outlook for the mail communication. What shld I do for the server & client site? How about the mail domain (such as @abc.com)?

regards.

[Robert S. Carr · Accepted solution]

Ngoh:

Outlook can work with both POP3 and IMAP compliant mail servers as well as with Microsoft's Exchange server.

If your plan is simply e-mail, you probably can stick with simpler and cheaper POP3/IMAP servers or use an external provider and save even more money. You can arrange for your domain to point to the e-mail provider's web site.

On the other hand, if you plan to use Outlook more as a groupware application, Exchange offers a lot of features. Not only do you have feature like public folders but you can also share calendars, mailboxes, task lists, contact info, etc. (see http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/default.mspx). Groupware is very powerful as it allows groups of user to collaborate and share information much more easily than traditional e-mail only solutions.

With your own server you have more control and only you hold your data (not someone else) but you need to consider security. Additional software may be needed to protect your mail server and you've got to invest time in setting up your server to both keep out hackers yet let users take advantage of Exchange's many features.

An alternative might be is Exchange Hosted Services. Here you use an Exchange server hosted by Microsoft. See the above link for more info.

As for the client software itself, Outlook comes with MS Office professional. If you buy Exchange, it is included in the price. I don't know the details of Exchange Hosted Services but I would imagine Outlook is also included as part of the package.

A good place to start is probably to make a formal list of needs, then a budget and see what solutions fit.

Good luck.

Rob

[Ngoh Chean Siung]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

Q1) If we subscripe the mail server to external internet provider, it means that we need to provide them the domain that we want & they will act as the admin for the mail server, right?

Q2) As I know, POP is designed for offline email & IMAP is designed for offline & online email. Any others different? If no, I think most of the users will choose IMAP, right?

Q3) Do u hv the summarized steps to install & configure microsoft exchange server?

regards

[Nguyen Anh Tien]

POP vs IMAP
1, POP must download all header and content before showing to users.IMAP does not it only download header of email then if you read email it will continue download contents from server.

[Robert S. Carr]

Q1) If we subscripe the mail server to external internet provider, it means that we need to provide them the domain that we want & they will act as the admin for the mail server, right?

Basically, whoever is providing you with a domain name will point the domain to whatever server you tell them too. In a lot of cases the Internet service provider can help you.

Q3) Do u hv the summarized steps to install & configure microsoft exchange server?

When you buy Exchange, instructions are included. As an Exchange customer you will be provided with customer assistance. While setting up Exchange is relatively easy suggest you do some reading before lauching setup. Exchange is a program with a lot of configuration options. Start with the Deployment guide from MS.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/2003/library/depguide.mspx

Here's a privite site dedicated to Exchange
http://www.msexchange.org/

A google search on Microsoft Exchange will turn up 100s more.

Rob

[Ngoh Chean Siung]

Hi,

Must ms exchange work with active directory? Can work with workgroup setting?

regards.

[Igor Karasik]

>>Must ms exchange work with active directory? Can work with workgroup setting?

Exchange 2000/2003 cannot be installed without ActiveDirectory.