Good, Bad, or Indifferent: Microsoft Outlook Anywhere
By Blake Britton, Vice President, Axxys Technologies

While most of us can receive and send email from any computer that has an Internet connection via Outlook Web Access (OWA) or through a mobile device (Windows Mobile, Palm, or Blackberry), what I miss is the full functionality and speed of Outlook. With Exchange 2007 and Outlook, you can now have that functionality wherever you have an Internet connection. Outlook Anywhere and Exchange 2007 provide your network administrator easier configuration of the ability to use Outlook anywhere. Yes, if your system has Outlook, and it is configured to run RPC over http (use of your local Outlook to securely connect to MS Exchange), then you are connected to you email system and have full Outlook functionality whenever you have an Internet connection.

I leave Outlook running on my notebook and when I leave the office, the notebook goes into “sleep” mode. When I “wake” it up when I am on my home wireless network or at any remote site via my cellular card, it connects to the Internet and the Outlook installed on my notebook is automatically and securely connected to our Exchange server just as if I were sitting at my desk in the office. I have access to my group calendars, group contacts and address books, and all other functionality of Outlook. In using Outlook Anywhere the technology is delivered to you as if you were in the office. Since this mailbox is sending/receiving with the Exchange server it will also ensure that any changes made in Outlook also happen in your Exchange server.

InSwift is very excited about the functionality that Exchange 2007 and Outlook 2007 have delivered in keeping us connected to our clients and the InSwift Team. With the advancements in mobile technology, the Internet being available almost anywhere, and backoffice software, the ability to be productive from outside of the office has never been easier.