Exchange 2003 OWA

Now that MS Exchange 2003 is out (or at least should be by the time you read this article), let’s look at the features this version offers. One really cool one is the completely revamped OWA (Outlook Web Access), the Web-based front end for MS Exchange that lets you perform tasks that you can do using a client such as MS Outlook. OWA lets you use any modern browser and check and send e-mail and add appointments. But what is new about OWA in Exchange 2003 (both Standard and Enterprise Edition), are the options that let you replace MS Outlook itself. 

A striking change in OWA is the look and feel of the HTML interface. Although previous versions of OWA have also emulated the interface of the MS Outlook client, OWA 2003 elbows its predecessors in terms of the feature set it provides. It mimics the MS Outlook 2003 look almost completely. You can easily set up mail rules. For example, if a mail comes from a particular domain, it can be filed in a specific folder, or if a mail with a particular subject comes in, it can be marked in a different color and font. 

One of the biggest problems in sending and receiving digitally signed and encrypted messages is that if you use a Web-based mail manager, like OWA, there is no way of reading the message. But, with OWA 2003, you can send and receive Secure MIME messages from within the Web-based front end.

The logon screen has been completely changed so you can choose from a number of options right there. You can also check if you are on a private computer or in a public computer such as in a Cyber Café.

The premium interface completely mimics the MS Outlook 2003 GUI. But, if you are using an older or radically different browser (such as something on Linux), or are on a slow Internet connect such as a 33.6 or lower modem, you can opt to login using the Basic interface. This interface gets you up and running quickly, though you are using a barebones version.

However, this does not have a lot of the cool features that you expect, even such as a good right-click context menu. 

When composing a message, you can spell check your mail before sending it. The text of the mail is posted to the server where it returns with a familiar spell check HTML interface so you can scan your mail. 

OWA 2003 is also faster than its predecessors, and it does more with the DHTML scripting in the interface. If you use OWA with IE6, the GZIP HTTP compression allows the content to be compressed at the server and decompressed at the client reducing the time for the content to download. 

It even has the ability to use mobile devices to access your Exchange login. If you use a mobile browser, such as IE in a PocketPC , a WAP browser on a mobile phone, or a third-party browser like the one in the Nokia 9210 Communicator, OWA detects the type of device accessing it and sends the appropriate markup by putting put cHTML, XHTML or WML pages to render the page correctly in the browser. Of course, it is easier in some devices than in others–although reading e-mail and viewing appointments is simple in all devices, composing mail, say in a Nokia 6310, is hard. You need to compose it as if you were typing an SMS, using keystrokes or T9. And using T9 is not as easy as scribbling in a PocketPC or typing in the 9210’s keypad. 

For administrators no configuration is required to get the features working. 

Vinod Unny