News

Next Exchange Version Named, Enters Beta 3

• By Scott Bekker
• 10/05/1999

As the first product to include Microsoft's new Web Store technology, Exchange 2000 provides a single point of management and collaboration for the knowledge stored and shared through e-mail, documents, the Web and business applications.

The third beta also establishes a foundation for new forms of collaboration, such as real-time data conferencing and instant messaging, giving employees the ability to access and share information.

Exchange 2000 is integrated with Active Directory, Microsoft Management Console and Windows 2000 security, enabling secure, single-seat management of network and messaging resources.

In addition to new server-side features, Exchange 2000 is more tightly intertwined with Office 2000, especially the Outlook 2000 e-mail client.

The integration with Office 2000 is achieved primarily through saving with Save/Read capability using native dialog boxes for a centralized work environment.

Exchange 2000 also supports Outlook 2000’s Team Folder Wizard and provides access to shared information, such as Outlook 2000 contact lists or calendars, published in public folders. Conference Management Services provide a consistent user experience and administration services for conferencing software including third-party vendor software.

Exchange 2000 beta 3 will be available as a free download and can be ordered via the Microsoft Web site. Exchange 2000 beta 3 will also be available through TechNet and the Microsoft Technical Beta program.

"Exchange 2000 is a cornerstone in Microsoft's knowledge management platform, providing messaging and collaboration services for accessing and sharing information across an enterprise and its key constituencies," says Bob Muglia, senior vice president of Microsoft's Business Productivity Group. -- Thomas Sullivan