I talk to people all the time about hosting SharePoint and Exchange together for them. Often times I get that blank look… You know the same one I got when I asked the best looking girl in my college marketing class to go out with me. For some reason people think that Exchange is some convoluted program that they don’t need or have the ability to comprehend. It is email, contacts, calendars – personal information management – most often used for businesses.

What’s the big deal? What does Exchange have that Hotmail doesn’t?

Why use hosted Exchange? Why do businesses need a whole server just for email? Because it’s part of the Microsoft Suite of server software, it syncs up with Outlook, SharePoint (WSS and MOSS), CRM and mobile devices like the Apple iPhone.
Personally, I would be lost without the Exchange Server we use at Fpweb.net. I currently use Exchange on Outlook and SharePoint to handle internal project management, manage sales leads and important contact information. I store sales quotes and diagrams in SharePoint and then use Outlook to sync up to my SharePoint document library. I can preview documents that are stored within our MOSS 2007 Portal within Microsoft Outlook. Without the help of our MS Exchange Server, none of this is possible.

Ok, but what is the advantage to having it hosted instead of on-premise?

So why use hosted Exchange? Well, while using Exchange within the Microsoft Outlook client is as simple as using Gmail, the actual installation, setup and administration of a Microsoft Exchange Server is typically a nightmare for most internal I.T. departments. You definitely have to know what you’re doing. Fortunately, at Fpweb.net, we have a bunch of super geeks who know Exchange better than their favorite video game.

So that’s it – I’m keeping this one short. If you want to know more about hosted Exchange: Bing it. (Yes, I’m drinking the kool-aid and I’m switching to Bing for a while to see how this thing performs.)

Real Example

I recently quoted a current client of ours for an Exchange server bundled with BlackBerry Enterprise Server for 75 BlackBerry users. The cost was around $2,000. He quickly asked what the cost would be if he just used ActiveSync (most commonly used for Apple iPhone mail or Windows Mobile devices), I told him… $1,000. When he asked me what the difference was in security and functionality, I had to be honest – there isn’t any difference.

Why do people use Blackberry Enterprise Server?

• Many corporations require it.
• Many corporations are grandfathered into using it because it was superior in the past.
• It is a good product. It’s fast, secure and a fairly reliable mobile technology.
• You can control what individual users see on their phone.
  • Joe in Accounting and Stan from the mailroom probably don’t need the same functionality and applications available on their mobile. Heck, Stan probably doesn’t need a mobile since he never sees the light of day from the mailroom and hates talking to humans, but that’s a separate conversation.
• It can talk to other mail servers / applications – not just Microsoft Exchange.

What typically prevents people from hosting Blackberry Enterprise Server?

• Hardware costs, user licensing costs and TCO.
• Lack of expertise needed to administer and maintain it

Now that you know the pros and cons, you’re probably asking yourself – how the heck do I host any of this in the first place? I thought I had to hire a 70k I.T. guy for that!

Blackberry hosted with Microsoft Exchange

What you’ll need:

• Blackberry Enterprise Server Software v4.1
• Additional user licenses/accounts ($10/user )
• Blackberry mobile device
• Cost of GPRS (built-in to our hosted offering)
• BES server
• BES server administrator
• BES requires a SQL database to store data. BES provides MSDE – but is only good for 50 users or less. If you have more than 50 users, you’ll need a Microsoft SQL Server.

ActiveSync mobile with hosted Exchange

What you’ll need:

• Need to purchase the SSL certificate (to keep your information secure and encrypted).
• ActiveSync mobile device (iPhone, Windows Mobile devices, etc…)
• Cost of GPRS (built-in to our hosted offering)

What you don’t need

• No per-user license cost – ActiveSync is included with any MS Exchange license.
• No SQL database is required
• Enabling ActiveSync does not require any new hardware; it’s a setting that can be enabled on any Microsoft Exchange Server.
• Exchange administrator is good enough to manage ActiveSync.

What about security and fancy features?

Security: about the same

• Blackberry uses 3DES encryption
• ActiveSync uses SSL V2 port 443

Functionality: about the same

• They can both read, write and edit documents, spreadsheets, etc…
• They can both browse the Internet
• They both allow you to send/receive mail, view calendars, folders, etc…

There you have it. Now, don’t mistake me for a technophile. It’s quite possible I’m missing something huge that easily justifies the enormous cost difference. However, from where I sit – in my cozy ergonomic chair in the Fpweb.net World Headquarters, Blackberry vs. ActiveSync isn’t much of a comparison. I have used both, enjoyed both and when I wasn’t paying for it, it didn’t matter to me what I used. My observation is that when I work with Fpweb.net clients who have the option to pay more for BlackBerry Enterprise Server – they are opting to buy the phone everybody and their mother wants (an iPhone), and use ActiveSync mobile email for FREE.

That’s it for now – make the most good with your day. Keep it simple. Go Cardinals!

Here’s a video from the Microsoft Exchange blog, posted last night.  The feature previews start at around 1:25.

For the full list visit:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=960384.

Some more information regarding these updates:
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2009/03/18/450863.aspx

3 critical SCR issues

KB 961281 Update Rollup 5 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 introduced an issue where you receive an error when attempting to enable SCR on a storage group if the environment has a parent domain/child domain active directory structure.

KB 957834 Network shares are deleted and created intermittently by the replication service on an Exchange SCC cluster when SCR is enabled on the Exchange server

KB 958331 Restore-StorageGroupCopy command may fail in an Exchange Server 2007 SCR environment

2 IMAP issues

KB 957504 and KB 960292

DCR to handle address encapsulation

KB 956069 Design change to address encapsulation and the way it is handled by Exchange Server 2007.

DCR to preserve custom properties in calendar items processed by the calendar assistant

KB 949464 This will improve interoperability of Exchange 2007 with products implementing Outlook add-ins and using custom properties

As mentioned above, Microsoft states that OWA is accessible from a standard web browser, but depending on which browser you choose, you will experience a different feature set.  OWA can run in one of two versions: Premium and Light.  OWA Premium is the next best thing to using Outlook 2007 directly on a network computer.  You get nearly all the same features as Outlook, but OWA Premium can only be accessed with Internet Explorer (IE) 6 or later versions. OWA Light, on the other hand, can be accessed via other browsers, but it’s a stripped down version of the application with fewer features.

Browsers that support OWA Light include:

• Mozilla Firefox 1.8
• Opera 7.54
• Netscape Navigator 7.1
• Safari 1.2.

Keep in mind, however, that OWA Light is only supported on these browsers when setup in certain operating system environments.  For full details on the operating system/browser combinations that support OWA light, visit Microsoft’s site at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998931.aspx.

I bring all this up because I am fully aware that not everyone uses IE.  In fact, close to 50% of people use some other type of browser and, therefore, aren’t getting the full fledged OWA experience.

For all you non-IE users, here’s what you’ll be missing:

• Spelling Checker
• Reading Pane
• Notifications and Reminders
• Weekly Calendar Views
• Windows SharePoint Services and Windows File Share Integration
• HTML Message Format
• Right-Click Menu
• Drag and Drop
• Explicit Logon
• Type-down Search
• Resource Mailbox Management
• Color Scheme Appearance
• Voicemail Options

For a full list of all OWA Light limitations, visit Microsoft’s site at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997437.aspx.

The good news is that you do have options to avoid experiencing this watered down version of OWA.  First option is to use IE instead, even if it’s only for this one application, and you’ll get full access to the Premium features.  I know for some of you that may be asking a lot, so here is the second option.

If you are a Mozilla Firefox fan, you can download the Firefox IE Tab Add-on.  This nifty tool allows you to open an IE tab in the Firefox browser as needed.  According to Mozilla, it “should” operate just as if you are using Internet Explorer, and thus your OWA problems are solved.  To download the add-on, visit Mozilla’s site at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419.

Finally, there is a third option, but it’s not yet available.  Exchange 14 (coming soon) will have a ton of new features – including full Outlook Web Access on FireFox and Safari as well as IE.  See our post on Exchange 14 features.

Whatever you chose, the moral of the story is: OWA has a lot to offer remote Exchange 2007 users.  Don’t miss out on the goods!

Here’s how you do it.

Open up Exchange Management Console.

In “Recipient Configuration -> Mailbox” locate and click the former employee’s mailbox.  Then to the right in the “Actions” pane, click “Manage mobile device…”

Now in this window click on the correct device and make sure the “Perform a remote wipe to clear mobile device data” radio button is checked.  Click “Clear” and Exchange 2007 will perform the remote data wipe on the mobile device.

Lastly check the “Remove mobile device partnership” radio button and click “Remove”.

Over the last several months, the Fpweb.net team has been evaluating what customers are demanding and in what capacity. After quite a bit of thought, research and feedback, Fpweb.net decided it was time to update the structure of their hosting service model. While some hosting solutions were merely modified and given a new name, others were removed entirely and replaced by new and improved plans. The new hosted offerings present comprehensive “Software as a Service” solutions for Windows SharePoint Services v3, Office SharePoint Server (MOSS), Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and dedicated Windows servers.

“Most customers come to our site not knowing where they fit in, so we’e made it as easy as possible to drill down to the plan that best meets their needs,” said Rob LaMear IV, Fpweb.net President. They have restructured their plans to fit into three main categories: Small Business, Corporate and Enterprise. These categories help customers decide where to begin based on the size of their company.

Next, within each category, there are up to two plans, labeled as Level I and Level II. “Level I is the base plan for each category and a great place to start,” mentions LaMear; “however, it may not work for everyone. If the customer needs just a few more users or a little extra space, but isn’t ready to jump to the next category, our Level II plan should provide the perfect middle ground.” To increase uniformity across the board, Fpweb.net uses the same Categories and Levels for all technologies they host. “That way, if you are a Corporate Level II hosted SharePoint customer who is looking for Exchange hosting, you can confidently jump straight to our Corporate Level II Exchange hosting plan to assess the features and sign up,” said LaMear.

As an added bonus, Fpweb.net is now including a single domain name in most new hosting plans at no extra charge. Additional domain names and renewals will be registered at $19 per year. Plus, private domain registration is now available for only $14 more per year. If you are looking for a discounted rate, Fwpeb.net also offers 5 year registrations at $90 ($5 savings). By registering domains with Fpweb.net, customers no longer have to hassle with renewals; Fpweb.net takes care of everything. Overall, as a managed hosting provider, they guarantee a higher, more personalized level of service than other domain registrars.

If customers wish to evaluate the new plans side-by-side, Fpweb.net has setup a Compare Plans page for each hosted service they offer. Links to this feature can be found on the left hand navigation of each application page. For additional questions, customers are encourage to call Fpweb.net toll free at 866.780-4678.

Fpweb.net provides managed hosting services for SharePoint, Exchange, CRM, Project, PerformancePoint, Office Communications Server and SQL to customers around the world. Fpweb.net offers shared, semi-dedicated and dedicated server environments to cater to the client’s need for speed, security and control, while cutting IT costs 60%. All hosted services are housed in SAS 70 Type II data centers with PCI, SOX and HIPPA compliance to ensure the highest level of data security. Additionally, each solution is backed 24/7 by expert, U.S.-based service and support. With Fpweb.net’s rapid server deployment, clients can access the infrastructure they need today, without a significant up-front investment. As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, they serve over 5,000 enterprise customers including Mercedes-Benz, Boeing and the NY Yankees.

Fpweb.net offers three Exchange 2007 Hosting packages. In addition to the increased mailbox size, these upgraded packages include:

• FREE SharePoint Site ($150 value)
• FREE Outlook 2007 or Entourage
• FREE ActiveSync

Pricing starts with the Basic package at $19.95 a month for two 500 MB mailboxes. For $74.95 per month, users can upgrade to the Pro package to receive five 1,000 MB mailboxes, or the Pro Plus package, which offers ten 2,000 MB mailboxes at $149.95 per month.

“Microsoft Exchange Hosting is a cost effective solution for any organization needing advanced messaging tools without big IT costs,” says Frontpages President Rob LaMear IV. “Now with increased mail box capacity, businesses of all size can compete with large enterprises through the communication and collaboration tools of Microsoft Exchange 2007.”

Frontpages is also offering SharePoint Customers an upgraded SharePoint Pro Plus plan, which includes:

• FREE SharePoint Designer ($200 value)
• 40
• 25 Exclusive Web Parts to customize websites