Exchange Server

Google has made several improvements to G-Suite that make it easier for organizations that use both Google Calendar and Microsoft Exchange Server to integrate and maintain functionality across the two platforms.

Surprisingly, Microsoft has never included a central method to manage user autosignatures within the cloud or on-premises versions of Exchange. Which means that you must let users manage their signatures, build your own tools, or deploy a commercial solution.

Microsoft told us some months ago that they would block the creation of new eDiscovery cases in Exchange and SharePoint. A course reversal has happened because of the humble discovery mailbox, which Exchange uses as a target for eDiscovery results. The block has lifted for Exchange but remains for SharePoint. It will eventually happen for Exchange but Office 365-wide functionality is better than workload-specific features.

The quarterly cumulative updates for Exchange Server quietly appeared with little fuss this week. Meanwhile, in cloud land, Office 365 continues the crusade to eradicate distribution lists with new bulk conversions to Office 365 Groups.

Microsoft now supports the migration of modern public folders to Exchange Online. ISV solutions allow you to migrate public folders to other places, like Office 365 Groups and shared mailboxes, which seems like a lot more interesting.

The IT world often focuses on big changes and announcements instead of looking at how small changes can really make a difference. One example is how Microsoft has changed what happens when users recover deleted items to allow items go back to where they came. It’s a great change, even if it is seven years overdue.

Microsoft is obviously putting a lot of effort into improving the functionality available in the OWA and Outlook clients, but only for Office 365 users. It’s now got to the point where on-premises customers must be wondering where their next update will arrive. The answer may be “Never”.

As part of the Office 365 data governance framework, tenants can now create retention policies that apply to the mailbox and team site belonging to Office 365 Groups. The process is quite straightforward, but some gotchas exist that you need to think about!

The U.S. patent office granted IBM a patent in January that seems to cover email auto-reply. The only problem is that auto-replies existed a long time before IBM claimed to have invented them. But it’s all good now.

Exchange 2007 reaches end of life on April 11. The importance of this version cannot be overstated, especially in terms of its contribution to Exchange Online and Office 365. But it is time to let go and move to a more modern platform.

Changing from one mobile platform to another can be interesting. I went from Windows 10 Mobile to iOS and so far, no major damage is done. Some interesting differences exist in how Outlook for iOS and Outlook mobile synchronize email to devices. I wanted to learn more, so I poked and found out why the differences exist.

Microsoft introduced the Safe Attachments feature as part of its Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) offering in 2015. ATP is an option for Exchange Online Protection (EOP). It is included in the Office 365 E5 plan and can be licensed as an add-on for $2/user per month for other Office 365 plans. Now Safe Attachments can handle dynamic delivery and the improvement is noticeable.

Microsoft has moved 400 million Outlook.com mailboxes to an Office 365 infrastructure. Outlook.com mailboxes are now powered by Exchange Online and exploit other parts of the infrastructure like EOP. It’s a good change from a engineering and economic perspective.