Immediate increase in user productivity.
Improvements in the next version of Microsoft Office Outlook® and Outlook Web Access offer:

* Faster e-mail access and an intuitive user interface.
* Greatly improved Outlook and Outlook Web Access performance that enables high productivity for mobile workers connecting over slow, latent, inconsistent network connections such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), 1xRTT, and dial-up connections.
* Secure Internet access from Outlook that reduces the need for a virtual private network (VPN) connection when used with Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 and that enables single-URL access for Outlook, Outlook Web Access, and mobile devices.

Increased productivity for IT staff.
Administrators can save time and increase productivity with:

* Single-seat administration for Exchange Server and infrastructure through Active Directory^® directory service.
* Instantaneous, online snapshot and backup of Exchange Server databases and storage groups with Windows Server 2003 Volume Shadow Copy service and Exchange Server 2003.
* Single mailbox restoration.

Faster, easier migrations and deployment.
Exchange Server 2003 makes upgrading easier with:

* More checks to ensure that your earlier environments have been correctly prepared before native Exchange Server 5.5 upgrades.
* Active Directory Connector Wizard that automatically creates connection agreements between Exchange Server 5.5 and Active Directory.
* Public folder migration and new administration tools.

Reduced cost.
Exchange Server 2003 offers better server consolidation with more mailboxes per server for Exchange Server 5.5 users as well as:

* Increased performance between Outlook clients and Exchange Server 2003 increases productivity and enables Exchange Server mailbox server consolidation scenarios.
* Support for four-node and eight-node clusters when used with Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition.
* Improved performance on replication traffic when used with Windows Server 2003.

Enhanced security.
To uphold the tenets of the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing initiative, Exchange Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 share the goal to be secure by design, secure by default, and secure in deployment. Exchange Server 2003 protects your messaging environment better with:

* Improved junk mail controls that provide support for real-time blacklists and help to minimize spam.
* S/MIME support and automatic logoff after inactivity in Outlook Web Access.
* Connection filtering.

Increased server availability and reliability.
Get improved virtual memory management and support for four-node and eight-node clustering with Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition. Speed mailbox recovery and improve support with:

* End-to-end Outlook monitoring.
* Improvements in the Exchange Server System Manager tools.
* Mailbox Recovery Center.
* Recovery Storage group.

Improved manageability increases server availability.
Proactively manage, monitor, and troubleshoot when you download the Microsoft Operations Manager Exchange Server Management Pack and get:

* 1,700 out-of-the-box rules.
* Built-in Microsoft Knowledge Base.
* Updates for rules and Knowledge Base.

Anytime, anywhere access.
Step into the age of the wall-less office with:

* Built-in remote synchronization support for Windows Mobile–based devices such as Pocket PCs, Pocket PC Phone Editions, and Microsoft Windows Mobile™–based Smartphones.
* xHTML (WAP 2.x), cHTML, and HTML browser-based devices and mobile devices that can securely browse Exchange Server 2003 mailboxes.
* Ubiquitous client access using a single URL for all external client types such as Outlook, Outlook Web Access, and mobile devices.
* Information on your Pocket PC that is always up-to-date.

Capitalize on existing technology and infrastructure.
Stay within your budget because Exchange Server 2003 can:

* Co-exist with Microsoft Windows NT®, Windows 2000, Exchange Server 5.5, and Exchange 2000 Server.
* Run on either Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3) or Windows Server 2003.
* Connect and share information with other directories by using Microsoft Metadirectory Services and Active Directory.