Beginner’s Guide to MS Exchange email

by Melissa Smich on February 24, 2010

By now most of you must have exchanged a million mails, but when it comes to using MS Exchange email, there might be a lot of head-scratching. Well, you need not lose any more sleep, as this basic guide will take you to a better level of understanding the nuances of MS Exchange email.

What is MS Exchange email?

MS Exchange email is an email account created for the Microsoft Exchange Server. It allows excellent mailing as well as collaborative services. Exchange allows greater control over information interchange and allows calendaring features as well. Remote access is one of the greatest flexibilities that are allowed by Exchange Server. An Exchange email account can be easily created using Microsoft’s client program Microsoft Outlook. You can either install this program on your computer or use a web based application from your computer or a mobile device.

writtingExchange email accounts not only have inbox/outbox abilities but also incorporate public folders that allow greater collaboration in a protected and controlled environment. Thus, an MS Exhange email is ideal for enterprises and large-employee businesses. Users can now share files, schedule dates and meetings and check on resource reservation within the company network. Microsoft Exchange provides a personalized mailbox that gives a great boost to corporate personnel and can also be accessed remotely. This ensures a sense of privacy for the user as well as incorporates the seriousness of a business workplace.

Connecting POP and IMAP Clients to Exchange Server

Traditionally, Microsoft Outlook is all you would require to connect to an Exchange mail account. But as more and more remote clients try to access their accounts, it requires support to be provided for a wider array of client programs and platforms. A user needs the following information to program a POP or IMAP client.

  1. The account type (POP3 or IMAP4)
  2. Server address for incoming messages
  3. Server address for outgoing messages
  4. Username and password for the account
  5. Web address of the account

The difference between POP and IMAP is that POP mail accounts only provides inbox and outbox facilities along with sent mail. IMAP on the other hand allows most of the features of Exchange Server including calendar and other contacts. The most important feature, Public folder, though is kept only for Exchange Server accounts.

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is the client program that is used for handling the messaging operation of a MS Exchange Server. Although Outlook is mainly used as an email client program, it also features calendar, task manager, note taking, contact manager, journal as well as web browsing.

Although it can be used as a standalone application, its full potential is unlocked only when it is used in sync with a Microsoft Exchange Server. Using this, multiple users of an organization can share files, contact information, meeting schedules, etc. Outlook can also be used to integrate with mobile devices like BlackBerry. Outlook 2007 consists of more additional features like in-built RSS reader, greater security features, adding pictures to electronic business cards, forwarding of emails and messages as text messages to mobile phones using Outlook Mobile Service.

Why is a MS Exchange email necessary?

In the present scenario of the corporate world speed and time are of the greatest importance to businessmen, associates and other team members. So there is a need for a comprehensive messaging and collaboration program which keeps everyone in sync and allows them to share information on a fixed and secure network. MS Exchange is the most popular service that allows such assembly and also allows clients to use a mobile device such as BlackBerry or an iPhone to receive and answer emails.

MS Exchange uses push emailing service to instantly send a new message to a client on the move. Such an instantaneous service can be a crucial factor in making important business deals.

Vince Buffon
Technology Editor & Author
PaperTip (http://www.papertip.com)
A CopperBridge Media company

Related posts:

  1. Beginner’s Guide to MS Exchange Email
  2. What is Microsoft Exchange and How Does It Work?
  3. Not all email is created equal: an introduction to POP3, IMAP4 and MAPI
  4. Our Favourite Email Features
  5. What is Microsoft Exchange?

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

jack-o-lantern February 24, 2010 at 10:23 PM

Ive never really used it outside of a business setting but Outlook and exchange are great for work things. I just cant get into using them on a personal level though.

Reply

fightclub February 25, 2010 at 7:50 PM

You definitely have to be careful with public folders though, since they’re… well… public.
If you don’t watch yourself you can get yourself into a pickle by filing something in the wrong place.
That’s another good reason to keep work and personal emails separate of course.

Reply

Candace21 February 25, 2010 at 7:52 PM

I’ve always had trouble setting up outlook in general from a home setting Jack. If I could set it up I would probably use it. It is wonderful when it’s all set up already though and so I can definitely understand the benefits mentioned in this article.

Reply

JPW February 26, 2010 at 10:38 AM

That last line is incredibly true. Instant service can really be the maker or breaker between winning a new client over and pushing them to the arms of another business. Push is a huge factor in getting your emails in a timely manner so it’s a huge factor in keeping your business on the progressive path.

Reply

FrankJ February 26, 2010 at 10:39 AM

Server addresses seem like they’d be difficult to figure out, where do you find that kind of information. It’s that kind of technical stuff that turns me off from outlook and email forwarding and everything else.

Reply

Marketing Plan Guides March 31, 2010 at 3:15 PM

Exceptional post full of useful tips! My site is fairly new and I am having a difficult time getting my readers to leave comments. They are coming to the web site but I have the feeling that “nobody wants to be first”.

Reply

Exchange Mail November 18, 2010 at 2:10 PM

I never use Outlook for my personal emails, I only use gmail or yahoo accounts. But i think for business it’s nice to have outlook as your primary email program. If you guys find hard on how to set up outlook you can check IT Doctors, they might help you with it.

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