Slashdot Mirror
Can OWA Replace the Outlook Client and the VPN?
IPAQ2000 writes "This past week, I attended a
panel discussion sponsored by Microsoft and
other major players in the space. One of the ideas brought up by one of the expert panel attendees from a company called
Seaside Software claimed that large organizations should rely mainly on Outlook Web Access (OWA) for Exchange 2K access for remote users. He claimed that OWA access with SSL makes it perfect for secure access and saves the hassle of the VPN client support. I can see how avoiding the VPN client and the Outlook client together on desktops around large organizations (like mine) could be a good thing (by saving money), and how moving to OWA for remote users makes sense. In fact, it looks like
MS themselves are putting much more emphasis on the browser in Exchange 2003 (OWA
and Outlook are almost identical) so that users can run whatever version is appropriate for their needs, according to connectivity speeds, location, etc. There was a discussion regarding mobility and remote solutions in the enterprise. I thought that this might be a good subject for a
Slashdot discussion, especially as it relates to Exchange. What do you think about OWA as main way of accessing Exchange, especially as OWA keeps getting richer with each version of Exchange?"
Considering that a native OS X Outlook client is the one major app that makes it annoying to use a Mac on a Windows network, improvements in OWA are very welcome.
Up to this point, OWA hasn't been an acceptable subsitute for me, but I would like it to be. It's lightweight (esp. compared to Outlook), cross platform and definitely better in X2K than it was in X5.5.
I wonder what MS will have as the additional features you get in 'real' Outlook as OWA gets better. I have heard they're considering a native OS X Outlook client, but I'm not holding my breath.
This would be great for cross platform users. One of the reasons people like the mac is that you can use Office on a unix workstation, but without Outlook, it's still slightly kludgy.
While this seems a feasable idea for people who use VPNs just for outlook, sometimes you need a VPN connection because you need a "workplace" IP. Many organizations have websites, fileshares, etc. which are only available if you are trying to access them from an IP address that is on the local network.
Also AFAIK OWA doesn't let you do things like set up filtering rules, personal folders, and other things that the Outlook client allows you to do.
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.12 GIT d? s: a-- C++++ UL++++ P++ L+++ E- W++ N o-- K- w--- O- M+ V PS+ P
OWA can work with Mozilla, Netscape, etc, but it's a pretty different experience and does not offer all of the functionality that OWA under IE does. Folders are in different locations on the screen, etc.
I have extreme difficulty believing you have 3GB of vital conversation in your PSTs. Lose the attachments and see if it doesn't drop to less than 800mb.
this isn't a problem with OWA at all, it's a procedural/methodology problem
Yes indeedy. I cringe when people proclaim their utter reliance on PST files; they're not impervious to corruption, you know.
* Put it on the server. If there are quotas and it's that important, work with the admins or your manager to devise a proper and workable resolution.
* Alternately, and again, if it's truly that important, consider a document management system or some other real mail handling system.
Either it really is that crucial, in which case you're living on a wing and a prayer with your current procedures, or it isn't that crucial, in which case you may need to re-evaluate your procedures.