REDMOND, Wash., June 30, 2003 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the release to manufacturing of Exchange Server 2003, the next edition of its messaging server. Customers can order a 120-day evaluation kit and sign up for an Outlook®
Web Access demonstration account at http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/trial/ . According to a recent study* by IDC, Microsoft®
Exchange led the Integrated Collaborative Environment market with 12.2 percent revenue growth worldwide over the previous year.
Exchange 2003, the most reliable and secure version of Exchange to date, has been developed with the experience of both information workers and IT administrators in mind, ensuring superior end-to-end quality for customers. Because of its improvements in productivity, manageability and security, customers are getting a significant increase in value with Exchange 2003 that could lead to important total cost of ownership (TCO) savings; pricing for the new messaging server will remain the same as for Exchange 2000. In addition, licensing options have been expanded to recognize the emerging needs of customers to provide cost-effective e-mail and calendar services for a broader set of users within their organization.
“Customers told us we had to deliver greater value with less complexity,” said Mohsen al-Ghosein, vice president of Exchange Server at Microsoft. “When an IT administrator deploys Exchange 2003 out of the box, it ‘just has to work.’ Information workers need access to their inboxes from anywhere and everywhere and they want the same performance and experience as if they were sitting in front of their desktop. After three years of research and development, customers should have the confidence that we’ve answered their call. Deployment and management will be easier with Exchange 2003, and implementation will be possible with the knowledge and experience an IT administrator already has. And because IT can get Exchange up and running faster and cheaper, Exchange 2003 enables a company to optimize business processes and magnify productivity.”
Exchange Server 2003 significantly boosts information worker productivity with an integrated set of server and client capabilities that make it easier to create and manage business communications in the office and on the road. Combined with Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, Exchange 2003 will provide easier e-mail and calendar management, significantly faster synchronization, and easier Internet access. A redesigned Outlook Web Access adds important new features and provides access to Exchange data through most Web browsers. With built-in support for wireless access, Exchange 2003 enables mobile professionals to stay in touch from Windows®
Powered Pocket PC devices, PDAs, Smartphones and cell phones.
Productivity gains extend to the IT administrator, where the investments in Exchange 2003 and Windows Server (TM) 2003 deliver enhanced security, availability and reliability, and also help to lower TCO through server and site consolidation, eight-node clustering, and better data backup and restore methods.
“The Windows-based Exchange Server 2003 implementation for Army Knowledge Online is one of the enabling capabilities that will allow the Army to provide an enterprise platform supporting the Army’s requirements for the Defense Message System and digitally signing and encrypting e-mail for both formal and commercial messaging in Outlook and Outlook Web Access,” said Colonel Mark Barnette, chief, Information Infrastructure Modernization Division, U.S. Department of the Army, CIO-G6. “Combining Exchange Server 2003 and Windows Server System (TM) 2003 provides the Army with the anticipated opportunity for further consolidation of servers. Clearly, the Army expects to use Exchange Server 2003 as one of the center-point technologies supporting the Army’s global messaging and information environment.”
From the beginning, the development and release of Exchange 2003 has been driven by quality, not a schedule. Exchange 2003 code has met a strict set of release criteria and has undergone comprehensive security reviews and rigorous testing, both internal and external. This release marks the culmination of three years of development that included strenuous testing of more than 1,000 usage scenarios, six weeks of continual uptime at 99.95 percent availability, sign-off by more than 50 Joint Development Program customers, and 100 percent internal deployment at Microsoft.
“We have great confidence in Exchange 2003 and are in the process of putting it into production,” said Jean Balgrosky, chief information officer at Scripps Health. “Scripps has identified multiple business and clinical drivers that can lead us to significant process improvements with the new products. After internal testing and limited production scenarios, we decided to proceed expeditiously and deploy Exchange 2003 to our entire organization. Scripps is impressed with and excited about the functionality and collaborative benefits of Exchange 2003. We expect to see significant benefits in terms of manageability for IT and productivity for users.”
Pricing and Licensing
In these tight economic times, Microsoft recognizes that customers need to get the most value out of their software. As a result, prices for Exchange 2003 will remain the same as for Exchange 2000. However, customers will be getting a lot more value out of the product with improvements in scalability, reliability and security as well as improvements in Outlook 2003, Outlook Web Access and built-in wireless access (formerly provided by Mobile Information Server 2002). Detailed pricing information will be available at http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/ti/pricing.asp .
Microsoft has expanded the licensing options to recognize the emerging needs of customers to provide cost-effective e-mail and calendar services for a broader set of users within an organization. Employees are now accessing their corporate network using many devices, such as laptops, handhelds and shared kiosks, and Microsoft is providing them with the flexibility needed to adapt to their needs. Microsoft now offers a per-user client access license (CAL) which allows a single user unlimited access to the Exchange server from multiple devices. For companies with kiosks or shared PC environments as well as for deskless workers at retail stores or on factory floors, Microsoft continues to offer a cost-effective per-device CAL option that allows an unlimited number of users to access their Exchange mailbox from a single device.
The following licenses are available with Exchange 2003:
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Exchange Server 2003 Server License. This license gives the holder rights to install and use the server software. All Exchange 2003 servers require a server license.
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Exchange Server 2003 User CAL This client access license allows an individual to access Exchange 2003 from multiple devices (e.g., desktop, laptop, home PC, kiosk or mobile device).
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Exchange Server 2003 Device CAL. This CAL allows an unlimited number of people to access Exchange 2003 from a single device.
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Exchange Server 2003 External Connector License. This license allows access to the Exchange Server by an unlimited number of nonemployees such as business partners, suppliers, customers, retirees and alumni.
Exchange 2003 will be available in two editions: Standard and Enterprise. Standard Edition is an optimal solution for small to medium-sized organizations as well as branch offices of larger enterprises; Enterprise Edition meets the needs of larger organizations with more-complex deployments and scalability requirements. For the first time, Standard Edition also can be used in a front-end scenario, allowing customers to deploy Outlook Web Access without the expense of purchasing Enterprise Edition.
About Exchange Server 2003
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 works with Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Office 2003 to deliver best-in-class e-mail-based collaboration services that are highly secure, reliable and easy to access, enabling businesses to make decisions efficiently and compete more effectively. Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 is part of the Windows Server System, Microsoft’s comprehensive, integrated and interoperable server infrastructure that simplifies the development, deployment and operation of agile business solutions.
About Windows Server System
Microsoft Windows Server System is an integrated and interoperable server infrastructure that reduces IT complexity to enable IT professionals to deliver innovative solutions that meet the changing needs of business. With Windows Server 2003 at the foundation, Windows Server System is engineered from the ground up for XML Web services based on Microsoft .NET technologies to connect information, people, systems and devices. Based on a common software architecture that spans all facets of IT from design, development and deployment through ongoing management and usage, Windows Server System provides comprehensive IT infrastructure for operations (security, systems management, networked storage), applications (data management and analysis, e-business), and information work (messaging, communications and collaboration). More information on Microsoft Windows Server System can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
* “Worldwide Integrated Collaborative Environments Forecast and Analysis, 2003–2007: Raising the Melting Point of ICE,” IDC, June 2003
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