Microsoft Exchange

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What Does Microsoft Exchange Mean?

Microsoft Exchange is a collection of applications that enable digital messaging and collaboration in an enterprise IT environment.

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It is a Microsoft proprietary product that consists of Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Outlook (formerly Microsoft Exchange Client). It was introduced with Windows 95.

Microsoft Exchange is also known as Windows Messaging.

Techopedia Explains Microsoft Exchange

Microsoft Exchange primarily enables an organization to configure and host email and collaboration services. In a Microsoft Exchange messaging system/environment, Microsoft Exchange Server is installed on a Windows Server operating system and provides the server-side services and features, whereas Microsoft Exchange Client is installed at client nodes. Each incoming email is first received at the Exchange Server and is then routed to the destination client.

In addition to email services, Microsoft Exchange also provides utilities such as:

  • Contact management
  • Tasks management
  • Calendar

Moreover, it is also available as hosted or cloud services—deployed and entirely accessible from the Internet/cloud.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.