Outlook Web Access Interface (OWA)

Another key advantage Exchange provides is anywhere e-mail access through Outlook Web Access (OWA. Being able to retrieve their messages from any remote location with a computer and Internet connection, employees can keep current on ongoing business communications. A more informed workforce is more productive, more efficient and executes superior work.

Remote workers from home offices or on the road will always have access to the same information as on-location employees. OWA provides convenient access to e-mail, scheduling (including group scheduling), address book and contact information and all shared information stored in public folders.

You can be confident that using of Outlook Web Access will be as easy as using Outlook. The User Interface is very similar and incorporates new drag-and-drop capability, pop-up menus and toolbars.

Outlook Web Access Low-Bandwidth Enhancements
In many low-bandwidth environments, Outlook Web Access is an obvious solution. With Exchange 2003, core changes have been made to Outlook Web Access that improve the performance of the client. These changes include:

Bandwidth reduction Changes like removal of white space, shortening variable names, and optimizing the data needed for each line of views cut a substantial number of bytes from a typical user session.

User interface redesign In Exchange 2003, view updates are requested 80% faster than they were in Exchange 2000. This saves almost 24K bps in wire traffic for each message moved or deleted. The new folder list and updates to the view technology save almost 110K bps in wire traffic per typical user session.

Improved user performance With forms-based-authentication, files that Outlook Web Access needs download in the background while the user types in username and password, which improves the process of painting the user interface (UI) on screen. In addition, some script downloads are deferred until needed. These changes result in almost 10 seconds being shaved off of the dial-up logon process.

Network compression Outlook Web Access supports gzip compression between Internet Information Server (an underlying component of Exchange Server 2003) and the browser client. Additional changes now make the feature easier to enable and manage with the Exchange System Manager tool. For SSL-encrypted network traffic, users will realize data reduction on the order of 40% to 60% (depending on individual user traffic).
 

  •  Two-line view

  • Context menus view

  • Meeting requests can be forwarded

  • Desktop Alert and Notification Area icon for new mail

  • Add to Contacts feature

  • Ability to set number of items to view per page

  • Bidirectional layout support for Arabic and Hebrew (Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 required for bidirectional layout)

  • Richer support for icons in Mail view

  • Control when messages are marked as read in Preview Pane

  • Public folders now display in their own window

  • Access to Global Address Lists properties sheets within an e-mail message or meeting request

  • Message sensitivity settings on Information Bar

  • Meeting invitees can set their preferred reminder time for meetings

  • Calendar can be opened in its own window from a Meeting Request offering the ability to evaluate the calendar and meeting request at the same time

  • Forms-based authentication

  • Support for common rules

  • Server-side spelling checker for six languages

  • Quick Flags

  • Personal Tasks

  • Message signatures

  • Saved searches