Getting together with groupware - Part 1

One of the first things most small businesses want to do with their networks is add an email server, with many persuaded to look at Microsoft Exchange for just this purpose. However, Exchange can be a complex and expensive solution and there are lots of alternatives that are both easier and cheaper to implement.

Unfortunately, although these often match Microsoft's server in terms of basic messaging, they're not always so hot elsewhere - particularly when it comes to sharing address books, calendars and other information.

The underlying problem is the use of Microsoft Outlook which, love it or hate it, is far and away the most popular email client around. As a Microsoft product, Outlook is designed primarily to work with Exchange, supporting the proprietary Messaging Application Programming Interface (Mapi) that enables it to provide 'groupware' functionality.

Replace Exchange with an alternative Simple Message Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server, however, and the extra groupware features are, often as not, lost altogether.

Of course, there are ways to resolve this problem, which is what this feature is all about. One way is by switching to web-based email instead of using Outlook directly and using a browser to provide the client interface. Some Exchange alternatives are also being equipped with groupware features, and you can also get add-ons for Outlook to reinstate the groupware functionality without the need for a server at all.

In this feature, therefore, we look at what you get with Exchange and how some of the alternatives measure up when it comes to equipping a small business with the tools needed for collaborative email working.

Microsoft's dynamic duo
It's worth starting with a little history to put Exchange Server and groupware into perspective. The Microsoft package first appeared in 1996, as a follow-up to Microsoft Mail, the company's first proper email server solution. Since then it has become immensely popular with large enterprise buyers, due mainly to its scalability and the high level of both messaging and collaboration functionality it provides.

The software is also used by smaller companies, although some find the need for a well-specified Windows 2000/2003 server a little offputting. Microsoft recommends a 733MHz processor or better, together with 500MB of memory and a lot of free disk space, even on a small local area network (Lan).

Additionally, the last two implementations (Exchange Server 2000 and 2003) have been bound to Active Directory, which many small businesses choose not to implement. And the package as a whole can take a little getting to grips with.

Exchange Server can also be expensive to license. The smallest five-user Exchange Server 2003 package, for example, costs around £850 ex VAT. Indeed, for small companies starting from scratch a more cost-effective (and simpler) approach is to go for the Windows Small Business Server 2003 implementation. This includes the latest Windows Server 2003 software together with a full copy of Exchange and extra wizards to help with initial installation and configuration.

Also included is Outlook Web Access (OWA), to allow for remote email access using a browser. You also get a Pop3 (Post Office Protocol) connector to retrieve messages from ISP mail services, something which is not included in the standalone version of Exchange.

A five-user Windows Small Business Server 2003 can be bought for around £400 ex VAT, which is very good value considering it also includes the IIS Web Server and Microsoft Sharepoint services. However, you still need a fairly chunky server on which to host it, which can add considerably to the price. On top of that there's the cost of additional client access licences to bear in mind.

These vary depending on the number being purchased, but you'll end up paying roughly £50 ex VAT for each user, plus the cost of the hardware. Note, too, that Small Business Server 2003 can only be used with up to 75 users. One more and you have to upgrade to the full Windows Server and Exchange packages.

Server central
A benefit with Exchange is the inclusion of the Outlook client at no extra cost. Moreover, when the two are used together everything to do with the mail system will be stored centrally on the server, which isn't necessarily the case with other server products, as we'll discuss shortly.

With Exchange, though, everything from individual mailboxes, calendars and contacts folders to shared public folders created by the administrator or individual users is held on the server. That data can then be included in server backups and accessed from different workstations in a hot-desking environment, or remotely by mobile workers. Users also get immediate access to a global address book of local users via Active Directory which is, likewise, maintained centrally on the server.

With all of the Exchange data hosted on the server it's relatively straightforward to provide groupware functionality. In the Small Business implementation, for example, a default set of public folders is available straight away with no extra setup required, and system administrators can easily add to these.

In addition, users can be allowed to create public folders and share their own containing contacts, calendars and task-lists, as well as ordinary mail items. They can also manage access themselves, assuming they've been given the appropriate server rights.

Likewise, users can be allowed to view other people's folders including calendars, find free time and schedule meetings via the Exchange server. Custom applications can be created, too, by associating forms with public folders, again through the Outlook client.

Underneath the hood the default mechanism used to support these groupware features is Mapi, although the 'M' could equally be interpreted as Microsoft. That's because Mapi is something of a proprietary technology, implemented in the form of Windows DLLs and seldom used by other vendors, who prefer open standards such as SMTP.

Exchange itself uses SMTP to send and receive messages but uses Mapi to connect Outlook clients to mailboxes, contacts folders, calendars and other information held on the Exchange server. That doesn't mean that other clients can't access the same information - far from it.

For example it's now possible to get a similar level of access from a browser, using Outlook Web Access. The interface here is very similar and users can access the same public folders and groupware options, including shared address books and calendars, whether using Outlook directly or the browser implementation, with Exchange as the back-end server in both cases.

Great expectations
Exchange Server has a lot to commend it, the built-in shared folders making it easy to deliver the kind of groupware facilities small businesses look for. And it's surprising just how important such facilities can be.

Small companies might start out saying they only want basic internet email but that's rarely the case. An address book that can be shared company-wide quickly becomes a necessity, followed by the ability to share custom contacts lists with other users. Shared calendars are usually the next item to make its way onto the must-have list, and the Exchange/Outlook pairing is able to deliver all these features with ease.

The latest 2003 release of Outlook also solves many earlier offline working issues, with built-in client-side caching for when disconnected from the network. Plus there are lots of third-party add-ons and tools to extend and build on the functionality provided.

However, a lot of those tools have been developed to help with the management of the product, giving the lie to its complexity. So, too, does the army of consultants ready to help with your Exchange installation and later support, which can add considerably to the price.