Microsoft Exchange 2010 Features

15 Neato Things You Didn’t Know Microsoft Exchange 2010 Could Do

by Vanessa on 26/07/11 at 8:26 am

Exchange is a great resource with a plethora of functions that would probably take you months of testing before you figured them all out. So I did instead. Here are 15 neat features you may not have known Exchange 2010 can do.

1. MailTips

Mailtips offers administrators the opportunity to display messages remotely to the user. So let’s say the Sender is about to compose a message to a certain contact, MailTips will actually give the recipient’s status information if the recipient is Out of Office, the message size exceeds sender’s limit and other pertinent information that saves you the hassle of writing an undeliverable message.

How to configure MailTips

2. Remote Powershell

One of the biggest changes to come with Exchange 2010 is that now all the Exchange Management Shell administration is carried out through PowerShell remoting. Basically it allows you to connect to remote server running Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 to perform administrative tasks anytime, anywhere without any Exchange admin tools installed on your local computer.
3. Voicemail Preview

Voicemail Preview uses automatic speech recognition so you can read your voicemail. This means you can have your voicemail sent to you via texts on your cell phone. While the voice recognition is not perfectly accurate, it is a really handy feature in emergency situations when you may not be around a computer.

4. Ignore Conversation

This can be set up ahead of time to ignore certain emails that waste your precious time, i.e. a mute option for your email.

5. Database Availability Group (DAG)

DAG is essential in a database failure situation. It provides automatic database-level recovery and could even be called a “fail-safe” for Exchange. When disaster strikes any server in a DAG can host a copy of a mailbox database from any other server in the DAG and provide automatic recovery from any failures affecting mailbox databases.

6. Conversation View

Another great feature for admins-on-the-go is Conversation view. On your mobile device, you can sync and scroll through conversations and get the administration work done remotely.
7. Outlook Web

Outlook Web (OW) allows you to access everything from instant messages, calendars, contacts, voicemail, email, and SMS text anywhere you go. This makes it easier for you to manage your email more efficiently.
8. Remote Move

With Remote Move, whenever you need to move a mailbox, you can specify each and every detail of the process. This level of micro management is essential to running a smooth system on the server.
9. Automation

This reduces the possibility of human error. Improve efficiency and reduce issues that waste time and energy. This works with email to send and automate actions that previously would require hours of work. The efficiency enables a professional to handle everything without any detailed knowledge.

10. Powershell

Powershell offers scripting options that use WMI to automate complex procedures on Exchange 2010. It helps ensure routine tasks are always accomplished in a consistent way.
11. Collaboration

Your team can use this to work together across the network. This is beneficial for obvious reasons. The staff can work through issues easily while directly connected to the server.
12. Remote Connectivity Analyzer

Gone are the days of problem issues with connectivity. Now you can use this tool to locate problems, and fix them quickly and efficiently. Remote connectivity analyzer is internet-based and extremely helpful.

13. Performance Monitor

Performance monitor is a cool tool that gathers information about the performance of your messaging system and then enables you to create graphs, log performance metrics and perform historical trend analysis to track changes in your exchange environment.

14. Unified Messaging Tools

Get statistics in a flash with unified messaging tools. This is a lifesaver when you need to track calls and logs of messages. You can query and find exactly what you need in no time. This organizational tool is an efficient way to manage communication within the network server.

15. Details Templates Editors

This tool allows you to control the appearance of the object properties using Outlook. This can be a time saver as well. Keep everything organized and now, you can keep everything looking tidy and neat. Think of it as a janitor for the server.