For many businesses, seamless communication depends on the internal cooperation of groupware solutions. These make it possible to centrally manage e-mails, appointments, contact information, and tasks. One software that offers such functions is Microsoft Exchange Server. The market leader’s collaborative software is available in two different editions, each offering a different set of functions, and requires the purchase of a corresponding license. Companies have the possibility of using the groupware solution via the cloud or may alternatively operate it as an on-premises software within their own data centers. Read on for an overview of Microsoft Exchange’s functions, as well as an introduction to some of the program’s features, and an orientation on which model is best suited to your needs.
- Email hosting
- A calendar component, including collaborative features like meeting invites, shared calendars, and bookable resources
- Contact management providing an organization-wide address book, as well as personal contact stores
- Collaborative task management, such as the ability to delegate tasks to another user
- Sticky notes, files, and others
| FEATURE | POP / IMAP | MICROSOFT EXCHANGE |
| Dedicated email Storage | Stored in Local PC | 50 GB+ |
| Email at domain | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum attachment size | 150 MB | |
| Web Access | Horde, Roundcube | Outlook Web App |
| IMAP Access | Yes | Yes |
| Phone and Outlook Autoconfigure | ? | Yes |
| Antivirus Filter | Unlikely | Blocks 100% of known viruses |
| Maximum emails | ? | Unlimited |
| Calendar, Contacts sync across devices | Unlikely | Yes |
| Uptime Guarantee (SLA) | Unlikely | 99.9% |
| Support | ? | Microsoft Partner Support |
| Email Security | ? | Best-in-class. Used by finance, law government |
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