Microsoft readies Exchange 5.5 update

The software giant is set to release the latest service pack and a host of new migration tools for Exchange Server 5.5 by the end of this month, the company said.

Service Pack 2 is a cumulative release that contains all of the updates for Exchange 5.5 to the current date, and Microsoft recommends that customers apply the service pack to all Exchange 5.5 servers "as soon as practical."

Among the many features included in SP 2 is an Outlook for Macintosh enhancement that provides support for S/MIME v2 for message signing and encryption, and now provides read-access to calendar information on Outlook versions for Microsoft Windows. This client also now runs on Mac OS 8.5.

The Inter Org Replication Utility enables customers to replicate public folder information and scheduling information between departments rolling out Exchange in different time frames.

SP 2 also includes the Move Server Wizard, which was previously released as a stand alone utility on the Web and makes it easy for administrators to reconfigure their Exchange systems by moving servers between sites and organizations.

The server also contains a number of previously released tools for migration and synergy with Lotus cc:Mail and Notes/Domino. These include: the Importer for cc:Mail Archives, the Importer for Lotus Notes Mail, the Lotus Notes Connector for messaging connectivity, and the Application Conversion Assistant for Lotus Notes.

In addition, Microsoft will provide a bunch of new migration and connectivity tools for Exchange 5.5 users who are migrating from, or need coexistence with, OfficeVision/VM, Novell GroupWise, Lotus Notes, Lotus cc:Mail, and LDAP-based or IMAP-based systems, by the end of the month.