14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft might be keen on not making the latest iteration of Exchange Server available to customers until the first half of November 2009, but the bits for the gold version of Exchange Server 2007’s successor are already available in the wild. Exchange Server 2010 RTM has been leaked and is currently offered for download by various illegal third-party sources, including BitTorrent websites. The Redmond company has indicated that the gold version of Exchange Server 2010 will only be served to customers starting with Tech•Ed Europe 2009, an event scheduled between 9-13 November in Berlin, Germany.
The software giant has obviously supplied the gold bits of Exchange Server 2010 to some customers, and the result was immediately visible, with RTM Build 14.00.0639.021 popping up on torrent trackers. Part of the company’s overall strategy to shift from 32-bit (x86) exclusively to 64-bit (x64) architectures for its server-side platforms, Exchange Server 2010 is available only in a 64-bit flavor.
Microsoft announced the release to manufacturing development milestone of Exchange Server 2010 the past week, and indicated that customers should gear up for the latest version of Exchange Server, which will be made available this November. The leaked downloads of Exchange Server 2010 RTM are accompanied by the following information: SHA1: BBD6224FD72283142F9A8EC13615E11391C02BAB, MD5: C1895D5F9582684AFFC6AC716EA53D13 and CRC: 02374C73.
According to Bruce D. Kyle, ISV architect evangelist for Microsoft, “Exchange 2010, together with Microsoft Outlook 2010, will give people more control over their communications with features such as these:
- MailTips. Warn users before they commit an e-mail faux pas such as sending mail to large distribution groups, to recipients who are out of the office or to recipients outside the organization, helping protect against information leaks and reduce unnecessary e-mail messages. - Voice Mail Preview. See text previews of voice mail directly in Outlook. - Ignore Conversation. This e-mail “mute button” allows people to remove themselves from an irrelevant e-mail string, reducing unwanted e-mail and runaway reply-all threads. - Conversation View. Combine related e-mail messages in a single conversation to reduce inbox clutter. - Call Answering Rules. Create customized “Press 1 for …” call-routing menus with Exchange voice mail. - Consistent Experience. Use Outlook on the PC, a mobile phone or a browser for the same experience with enhancements in Outlook Mobile and Outlook Web Access.”