Exchange and XP

[adwilk]

We have a small business office setup, we have a total of 5 computers all running xp pro and have different office suites. We want to share calendars and contacts in outlook and from what i gather, the best way to do so is with Microsoft Exchange, does this work on xp or is it another OS altogether.. i need a simple solution...

 

[MrChad]

It runs on Windows Server. It sounds like you're an ideal candidate for Small Business Server, which includes Server 2003 and Exchange 2003.

 

[adwilk]

do you install it on every machine? I'm sorry... i just have no clue about this stuff

 

[nweaver]

call in an expert, tell them you want an exchange SERVER. Really, Exchange/SBS server isn't a sudden splurge decision, and is definatly not somthing a noob can install.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: adwilk
do you install it on every machine? I'm sorry... i just have no clue about this stuff

Exchange is a server that handles all your inbound and outbound email. Outlook is the client software for Exchange.

http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/whatis.mspx

 

[daveshel]

Not only does it require Windows server, it requires an Active Directory domain. The cheapest way for you to implement it would be the SBServer version, which is Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 designed to run on a single server. Installing and administering the domain and mail server requires some experience. Definitely not a simple solution, even before you consider how your office connects to the Internet.

 

[adwilk]

All that sounds like definite overkill for what we want. We have a project manager that enters scheduling in his outlook calendar, myself and one other individual would like to be able to view and update this calendar in real time without doing export/import everytime... do i have other options?

 

[uallas5]

You could try a third party Office sharing program like Sharefolder.
I looked at it briefly for our company but it diddn't quite fit. My boss has VERY particular, well more like peculiar, needs for email.

 

[TGS]

Or let someone do it for you?

Text

Or implement an in house imap server with calendaring features. Though the later sounds like an awful lot of work for 5 users...

groupwise


more

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: TGS
Or let someone do it for you?

Text

Or implement an in house imap server with calendaring features. Though the later sounds like an awful lot of work for 5 users...

groupwise


more

Our company uses Mailstreet for a hosted Exchange solution and it works great.

 

[Brazen]

SBS Server would be a good solution that would get you what you want a lot more usefull features. Everyone here is saying you'll have to hire someone else to do it, but I don't think that is necessarily the case with SBS Server. From what I've heard, it is much different from installing Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 separately. It is much more wizard interfaced and intuitive. It is designed so that someone with a novice understading of computers and a little networking knowledge can set it up.

 

[Brazen]

For opensource solutions you may also try PHP-Calendar, phpGroupWare, or openGroupware (the latter would probably be the most difficult to set up).

 

[EatSpam]

Originally posted by: MrChad
It runs on Windows Server. It sounds like you're an ideal candidate for Small Business Server, which includes Server 2003 and Exchange 2003.

Just what I was about to say...

It installs on a single server in your office and the clients connect to it.