Review: First Look At Exchange 2010

Exchange 2010 also gives end users a lot more control over their messaging environments. Add in enhanced unified messaging support and the integration of voice mail within Outlook Web Access, and so far it looks like Microsoft has a winner with Exchange 2010.

Some key features in a nutshell:

Exchange Federation: Allows cross-premise sharing of resources including federated messages and calendar sharing both within and outside an organization.

Support For SATA: Exchange 2010 can utilize Serial Advanced Technology Attachment desktop-class hard-disk drives.

Database Availability Groups: Databases can be grouped together so that they use continuous replication to provide automatic disaster recovery.

Role-Based Access Control: Via the Windows PowerShell, Exchange admins can designate certain administrative roles to end users, such as Organization Management.

Exchange Control Panel: ECP is a Web-based interface that enables users to "self-help" themselves. Users can perform tasks as varied as running delivery reports to managing distribution groups.

Device Security: Per-user mobile device policies can be set, such as allowing attachments to specifying PIN requirements. Admins can also deem which mobile device can sync and which to block.

Mail Tips: This feature walks a user through " checking" a message before sending to avoid potentially embarrassing sent messages.

Conversation View: Related messages pertaining to a specific conversation can be filtered in a threaded view.

Voice-Mail Preview: Provides a text-based preview of voice-mail messages.

Protected Voice-Mail: Can be used to prevent voice-mails from being forwarded outside the organization.

Multimailbox Searching: Powerful cross-mailbox searches can be performed throughout an organization.

Transport Rules: Allows an organization to enforce compliance and legal requirements through an e-mail policy engine.