Believe it or not, at the time of this writing, Macs running Snow Leopard will be the only computers with support for Microsoft’s Exchange Server built into their OS.
Not even Windows currently has built-in support, although of course many Windows applications, such as Outlook, do support Exchange directly. So, what does having Exchange Server support built into the OS do for you? Let’s find out.
Apple Mail and Exchange
First off, it will make setting up and using Exchange much easier. Just provide your Exchange username and password, and Apple Mail will automatically set up and configure your Exchange account. Mail uses Exchange’s Autodiscover capability (this feature must be enabled on the Exchange Server) to query the Exchange Server for all of the information required to properly set up your account.
Once your account is configured in Apple Mail, Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) can share the information with other applications, as you choose. This lets you pick the application you want to use to take advantage of Exchange’s collaborative services.
iCal and Exchange
iCall will be able to take advantage of your Exchange Server account to work as a group calendar and scheduling system. You can view real-time availability of coworkers, equipment, and conference rooms, and respond to invitations and appointments.
iCal will retain its standalone calendar capability, which means you can set up multiple iCal calendars, including ones for work, home, or hobbies, as well as Exchange-based calendars.
Address Book and Exchange
Address Book can also tap into your Exchange account, and access the Global Address List of your company. You can use Address Book to easily create Groups and Smart Groups, using the Global Address List as the source.
Address Book also works with Apple Mail and iCal as a feature-rich collaborative tool.
Third Party Apps and Exchange
With Exchange support built into Snow Leopard, third-party developers will be able to easily create their own collaborative tools that can access Exchange accounts. This should allow for a broad range of collaborative tool options that will work under Snow Leopard.
