Microsoft Exchange Server is a large mail server and web-based calendaring server developed originally by Microsoft. It runs on Windows Server, a part of Microsoft Corporation. The name comes from the brand name of the company. The service is mostly used by companies for handling their large quantities of emails. It stores all the mails that are sent and received by users in a common database.
This Microsoft Exchange Server is also known as the Microsoft Exchange Virtual Private Database.
The email service provided by this system is divided into two major components – the local database and the external e-mail delivery service. The database stores the content of the users’ mailboxes, while the delivery service hosts the application services, such as the message boards and the outlook search functionality. Users interact with this system through the mail client or the outlook.
Microsoft Exchange Server was introduced in the first version in the track of the global information exchange services (GIAST) that were arranged by the United States Department of State. The service has since grown so much that it is used by companies and individuals all over the world. The first version of the exchange server was equipped to handle mail for a single computer. However, this was considered as an expensive and difficult option. With the help of this, large amounts of mail could be handled by the mail server without having to purchase and install multiple email clients.
Later on, Microsoft Exchange Server proved itself to be an excellent platform for businesses dealing with huge volumes of data. In order to make this happen, the company developed several features that are designed to improve the efficiency of the system by improving the capacity of the database and by decreasing the downtime of the servers. One of the most popular improvements is the introduction of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, which was meant to provide improved functionality.
Microsoft Exchange Server also received numerous updates that enabled it to better accommodate the demands of the business.
The major update made on the exchange server in March of this year was the launch of Microsoft Exchange Server 2019. This major upgrade saw many additions that have made the service more robust. These include the Citrix Business Intelligence appliance, Microsoft Outlook Express, Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Dynamics MRP, Microsoft Business Portal, Microsoft Business Server (MBS), and Microsoft 365. While these additions were designed to allow the exchange server to support different types of business applications, they have also impacted the functionality of some of the previously existing systems.
One of the major factors that have resulted from the new service packs is the increase in availability of the Microsoft Exchange Server. Prior to the upgrade, the Exchange Server was only available in the standard service pack. This meant that if an organization had no need of Exchange Server, it would not be able to upgrade to the latest service pack. This meant that there would be a gap of at least four months for a business to decide if it needed Exchange or not. With the release of Microsoft Exchange Server2019, this gap has been filled and Microsoft Exchange is now available in all three service packs. As a result, organizations have immediate access to Exchange without the wait.
Another new feature that was brought along with Microsoft Exchange Server for its new version is the introduction of Microsoft Exchange Server shared calendars. With the introduction of shared calendars, users are now able to manage their calendar in a more centralized way. This makes it possible for employees to check the status of their emails in real time. These new features are designed to make work flow more streamlined and reduce paper consumption. In fact, it has already been reported by some users that they have already reduced their paper consumption by up to 90 percent.
Apart from the new Exchange features, Microsoft Exchange Server also saw several improvements in the underlying technologies that form the foundation of its cloud computing architecture. Among these technologies are the Visual Studio Code and Microsoft XCode.
- These technologies have been used as tools for building enterprise solutions but Microsoft has enhanced them so that they can be easily integrated with the exchange server.
- This integration allows organizations to build and host their own clouds on-premises.
- Organizations can then run their own virtualized email servers, store their data and have access to the applications of their choice through the cloud.