Why Should I Upgrade to Exchange 2016 from 2010/13?
The latest version of Exchange marks a new direction for the flagship Microsoft email server software. Software as a whole is on its way to moving out into the cloud. Exchange 2016 is no different. In fact, it is leading the way with many features making it the mail server that has been, “Forged in the Cloud,” according to Microsoft. Let’s take a look at some of the key features added to this release.
Increased Horsepower
Now that CPU speed and memory is significantly less expensive and easier to upgrade than in the past, the main design of Microsoft Exchange 2016 is aimed at hardware utilization, ease of scalability, and isolating failures. It’s the fastest, most reliable, and easily scaled version of Exchange yet.
Decreased Exchange Server Roles
Now Exchange has only two main server roles. The Client Access Server Role and the Mailbox Roles from 2013 have been combined into one role called the Mailbox Server Role, which handles all of the traditional client access services and mailbox operations. A new Edge Transport Role is deployed on the perimeter of your network to minimize the attack surface of Exchange. It acts as a gatekeeper watching over the communication from the outside world and your Exchange server.
Outlook on the Web
The Outlook Web App that most of us have used in the past has been replaced with Outlook on the Web. Many of the specialized and powerful features of the desktop Outlook application have been added to Outlook on the web. Now you can access almost all of the features of your Outlook from any browser on any device. New phone support features have been added to make your handheld Outlook experience much nicer. Many more features such as inline video, new themes to enhance your web client’s appearance, email reading improvements, Linkedin contact linking, search suggestions and refiners and enhanced mailbox options have also been added.
Document Collaboration
Exchange 2016 now integrates with Sharepoint Server 2016 to enable Outlook on the Web users to be able to link and share documents stored on OneDrive and in-house SharePoint servers instead of attaching them to mail messages. You can collaborate on your shared documents directly through Outlook without having to worry about your changes being preserved and merged with those of other teammates.
Office Online Integration
If an Office Online Server is deployed as part of the Exchange 2016 install, users can view Office documents from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint inside Outlook without having to have Office installed locally. This will be a huge new feature for users working off of their phones and tablets where there is no way to install Office. At least they will be able to view documents on their device through Outlook on the Web in their web browser.
These are just some of the most prominent new features of Exchange 2016 discussed at a high level. ONLC provides in-depth Remote Classroom Instruction training classes through one of over 300 specially designed classroom locations, or you can take the training from your home or office if you feel that method is more suitable for your situation. If you want to take a deep dive into all of the new features offered in Exchange 2016, enroll in a comprehensive training course today.
