Exchange Server 2010 Beta

Exchange Server 2010 beta is available for download for anyone with HyperV or a spare 64-bit server who wants to try it – it is not available in a 32-bit version. Note that OWA is not feature-complete at this time and some options are not available. Some features require Outlook 2010, which won’t be released for beta testing for several months.

Exchange Server 2010 offers many features to help users be more productive and manage their mailboxes. On the administration side, there are major improvements in disk IO, high availability, deployment. Administrators can give users the ability to do more mundane administrative tasks on their own, such as administrating distribution lists. Exchange Server 2010 also addresses compliance requirements with built in email archiving.

System requirements include a 64-bit computer, running Windows Server 2008 with a minimum of 4 GB RAM per server plus 5 MB for each mailbox. You'll need at least 1.2 GB on the drive used for installation plus an additional 500 MB of available disk space for each Unified Messaging (UM) language pack that you install and 200 MB of available disk space on the system drive. (Windows Server 2008 R2 is not officially supported. It may still work ok, but is not recommended.)

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Beta download
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=1898ed2c-2f88-48ac-824e-d3d20fad77d7 

Microsoft TechNet forums: Exchange Server 2010
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchange2010/threads 

Introducing the Exchange Web Services Managed API 1.0
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd637749.aspx 

Exchange API-spotting
http://blogs.msdn.com/exchangedev/default.aspx 

How to Install Exchange Server 2010 Beta
http://blogs.technet.com/scottschnoll/archive/2009/04/15/how-to-install-exchange-server-2010.aspx  

What's new in OWA 2010

Outlook Web Access 2010 offers many new and improved features. As previously announced my Microsoft, the OWA premium experience will be supported in the latest versions of all major browsers, including Firefox and Safari. Along with premium support in all browsers, we'll get a single page of messages. You'll be able to scroll the list of messages, eliminating the need to advance through page after page to read messages.

Many of the other new features are frequently requested by users. This includes the new conversation view. With this view you'll be able to see all messages within a conversation, grouped in the conversation even if they are in another folder. For example, the messages you send will be visible in the thread, even though they are in the sent folder. Another popular request involves shared calendars and contacts: OWA 2010 users can view shared calendars and contacts.

Filters can be selected from a dropdown menu with common options, making them easier to use and apply. Searching in OWA 2010 supports advanced queries. It supports many of the queries supported in Outlook 2007's Instant Search, including search strings like "from:", "to:", "attachments:". You can also save favorite or frequently used searches.

OWA contains instant messaging functionality. Administrators can connect this to their Office Communications Server or use the Windows Live Messenger Service. Users will be able to see if their contacts are available for chat. Users can also set their own status so others will know if they are available to chat. Exchange ActiveSync has the ability to send and receive SMS text messages from Outlook and Outlook Web Access.

Mobile Email Enhancements

Mobile users connecting through Exchange ActiveSync will see a number of improvements. In addition to the new conversation view, mobile user will have free/busy lookup from their device. The icon in the mobile inbox will have reply and forward arrows so you can see if you did more than read the message.

These features are supported on any mobile device that has Windows Mobile 6.1 or later, however, an update to Outlook Mobile is needed to take advantage of all the benefits in the latest version of Exchange ActiveSync.

Exchange 2010 Questions

Is there a 32-bit version available? No. The download page with the system requirements for a 32-bit trial version is incorrect. There are no plans to release a 32-bit version at RTM.

Are inplace upgrades supported? No. You need to add the Exchange 2010 server to your system and move the mailboxes to it.

Are public folders supported? Yes, public folders are available for sites that choose to enable them.

Is Exchange 2010 Beta supported in mixed mode with older versions of Exchange? No, not at this time. You should not be using it in a production environment anyway. Later builds and RTM will support mixed mode.

Is Outlook 2010 available? No, it won't be available to the general public until RTM early next year.

The Original Outlook Live

In a long expected move, Microsoft is finally killing off the Outlook Live subscription service. Also known as MOOL, this service provided a copy of Outlook and the Outlook Connector along with a Hotmail Plus account for $69.95 a year. It was introduced in 2005 and quietly discontinued for new subscriber about a year later.

Existing subscribers will be converted to Hotmail Plus subscriptions in May and prorated refunds will be issued to Outlook Live customers. Subscribers will be able to continue using the Outlook license obtained through the subscription but will not receive free upgrades to future versions of Outlook.

By ending the service completely, it may eliminate confusion with the renaming of Exchange Labs to Outlook Live by the Exchange team. (http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2009/02/12/450639.aspx)

Outlook Connector 12.1

This update should be pushed to all Outlook connector users and fixes some problems, while creating other problems for users, based on reporting in the Microsoft newsgroups. Restarting Outlook after installing the latest version of the Outlook Connector should eliminate some of the problems.

If you have build 12.00.6423.1000, you have the updated version of Outlook Connector 12.1. If you have a hotmail/MSN/Live account and aren't yet using the connector, download the newest version.

Download: Microsoft Office Outlook Connector 12.1
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9A2279B1-DF0A-46E1-AA93-7D4870871ECF&displaylang=en