Microsoft rolls out Exchange 2007 SP1
The first service pack for Exchange Server 2007 is out, Microsoft announces, bringing a number of improvements that increase its viability.
Service Pack 1 (SP1) brings a number of improvements that increase the viability of Exchange Server 2007, with new features that include additions to the Exchange management console, Outlook web access, and disaster recovery.
SP1, which also includes Windows Server 2008 support, will lead users to the first platform from Microsoft that supports the 64-bit only Exchange Server 2007. Windows Server 2008 is slated to ship between Jan. 1 and March 31 with the Hyper-Virtualization add-on coming within 180 days.
With SP1, Microsoft added Standby Continuous Replication, which allows replication between geographically dispersed areas. Data created in one place can be copied to other areas so that, in the event of failure or disaster, data from the other areas can be recovered automatically.
However, Microsoft’s Mark Deakin, product manager for unified communications, told ZDNet News that replication will not happen automatically. “Restore after failure will still be a manual process. It has to be manual because it is two separate pieces of data.”
In addition to business continuity, SP1’s features include cluster replication, mobile device synchronization options, and voice and fax integration via OCS 2007. A “call waiting” feature in the server’s Communicator client allows users to access Outlook from Communicator with a single click, including sharing authentication credentials to validate access to a user’s mailbox.
SP1 also features integration between the Exchange Management Console and Windows Vista, allowing users to run management tools on Microsoft’s newest operating system.
Another feature in the Exchange Server 2007 SP1 is a tie-up with Office Communications Server, enabling users to move voice mail between the two and allowing more control over a wider variety of mobile devices such as turning off a mobile’s camera, disabling Wi-Fi access, blocking POP email and SMS services, and streamlining data transfer.
Launched a year ago, Microsoft says that Exchange Server 2007 is now being utilized by more than 3,000 companies, representing a total of more than 1 million workers using the server.
