What is Shared Exchange?

Shared Exchange is a fully featured implementation of Exchange 2003 that allows us to host many discrete domains and customers on the same server. This “platform sharing” allows us to offer all the features of Exchange 2003 to individuals at a very reasonable monthly cost.

What are the requirements?

To use Exchange 2003 in native mode requires Outlook 2003. You can also get all the functionality through Outlook Web Access (OWA) using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

What are the terms of the service.

This is a month to month service.  Customers can cancel service with 30 days notice at any time. 

Does it require a VPN or on open firewall?

No. Microsoft has implemented RPC over HTTPS. This allows Outlook 2003 to communicate with Exchange over a standard HTTPS connection.

Is it secure?

Yes. When using Outlook or Outlook Web Access, all communications are through HTTPS which is a secure, encrypted protocol.

Is there a way to administer this service? or How do I manage users?

The username provided when the service was setup is the Site Administrator. This user has access to a management interface which allows the creation and deletion of additional accounts and the changing of passwords. This user is also the Public Folder administrator and can create additional folders and manage all Public Folder content. This interface can be found in your Account Center at www.irides.com.

Is there a disk space quota?

Yes, each user is allocated 1 gigabyte of space. Additional space is available at $1 per 200 megabytes per month.

Can I use Exchange in native mode?

Yes, you will have full access to Exchange 2003 and all of its features.

Can I use IMAP or POP to access my mail?

Yes, the INBOX and mailbox folders are accessible through IMAP. Only the INBOX is accessible through POP. The Address Book, Tasks, Calendar and Public folder are not accessible through either IMAP or POP.

Can I use a web browser to access my mail?

Yes. Microsoft’s Outlook Web Access (OWA) contains all the features of Outlook in Exchange native mode. It does require that you use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

Is there a public folder?

Yes, there is a public folder. The Site Administrator can create additional folders and manage all Public Folder content. Users can add and manage their own Public Folder content. See “Is there a way to administer this service?“

Can I share my calendar, tasks or address book with other users?

Yes. You can copy any of your personal folders to the Public Folder for sharing.

Can I upload/download personal .pst (Personal Folders or PST) files?

Yes. Outlook 2003 includes an Import/Export utility that provides this capability.