Exchange 2013 Brings Better Admin Tools, Features

Exchange Server 2013 delivers improved tools for administrators, including a new Web-based management portal and enhanced messaging policy capabilities for handling sensitive data in e-mail content and searching and retaining messaging items for compliance, legal, and disciplinary actions. The latest Exchange release also includes antimalware, a redesigned public folders groupware feature, and improvements to Unified Messaging (or UM, which allows voice mail and fax integration with Exchange). The improvements could ease Exchange administration while simplifying hybrid deployments that include Exchange Online mailboxes. As with any Exchange upgrade, organizations should consider restrictions such as supported version coexistence when migrating to Exchange 2013.

Administration Tools Consolidated

The Exchange Management Console (EMC) and Exchange Control Panel (ECP) management tools are replaced in Exchange 2013 by a single, Web-based administration tool called the Exchange admin center (EAC). (For an illustration, see “Exchange Admin Center“.)