Upgrading from Microsoft Exchange Client

Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 provides a straightforward upgrade path from Microsoft Exchange Client. By upgrading to Outlook, you can help to provide improved features and better integration with other Microsoft Office applications for your users.

Because both Outlook 2003 and Microsoft Exchange Client are MAPI-compatible applications, Outlook can completely replace Exchange Client. Outlook 2003 uses the same profile and other configuration information, and Outlook 2003 should be able to use all Exchange Client extensions and custom forms. Because of this compatibility, Outlook users should be able to exchange e-mail messages and share public folders with Exchange Client users. Some known exceptions are described below.

Unless you specify a particular profile when Outlook starts up for the first time, Outlook will choose the default e-mail profile to open your Personal Address Book (PAB) and personal folders. Outlook connects to the Exchange server and any other services that you specify in that profile.

Whether the profile is configured to deliver e-mail messages to the Inbox on the Exchange Server or to the Inbox in personal folders, Outlook 2003 continues to accept new e-mail messages in the same Inbox folder. After you install Outlook, you work with the same Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items, and any other personal folders used by the Microsoft Exchange Client profile.

Outlook 2003 starts with the same profile configuration as Exchange Client, except that a new information service is added to the Outlook 2003 default profile. This allows Outlook and any other MAPI applications to use the Outlook Contacts folder as an e-mail address book. Outlook 2003 can also do the following:

• Recognize any folder views you define.

• Maintain the read or unread message status.

Note

The Microsoft Office Resource Kit for Office 97/98 provides additional upgrading and file-sharing information for Microsoft Exchange Client, including information about Exchange Client folders and views, client forms, and extensions. For more information, see the Microsoft Office 97/98 Resource Kit Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/home.htm.

Resources and related information

You have a wide range of options for customizing Outlook 2003 installation for your users. For more information about Outlook customization features, see “Customizing Outlook Features and Installation with the Custom Installation Wizard” in Chapter 7, “Deploying Outlook 2003.”

You can install Outlook 2003 separately from the rest of Office 2003. For more information, see “Determining When to Install Outlook” in Chapter 6, “Planning an Outlook 2003 Deployment.”