Microsoft Pushes UC With Latest Exchange Release

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) on Monday announced the worldwide release of Exchange Server 2010.

Exchange Server 2010 is at the heart of Microsoft's unified communications push. The idea behind unified communications is to let users contact other people based on their availability and communicate with them in the best possible way. This could be e-mail Increase Customer Sales with Email Marketing -- Free Trial from VerticalResponse, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), instant messaging, or audio, video or Web conferencing.

All communications are accessible with a single sign-on and in a single in-box. Users can connect with other people from within Microsoft Office applications.

Exchange Server 2010, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are among a new generation of Microsoft solutions designed for increased productivity and reduced costs coupled with innovation. Redmond calls the combination "the New Efficiency." Other applications included in this are SharePoint Server 2010, Visio 2010 and Microsoft Project 2010.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 has an integrated email archive which makes it easier to store and query email across an organization. Other features include MailTips, which warns users before they make a mistake with email such as sending an email to a large group, for example; and an email "mute button" which lets people remove themselves from an irrelevant email string.

Exchange Server 2010 went into public beta in April. It is scheduled for release to manufacturing in the first half of 2010.

IT departments get common tools to manage security, compliance and archiving policies for corporate messaging and telephony systems in Exchange Server 2010. Built-in security technologies include real-time antivirus, antispam and security for email and instant messaging. Exchange Server 2010 also has built-in compliance and encryption features, and offers failover and redundancy enterprise-wide.