The Outlook 2003 mail client sports a clean, polished user interface. Its features are well-laid-out and configurable according to user preferences. Mail can be separated into groups in any folder by date received, conversation thread, e-mail account and other options, and you can configure the Reading Pane and AutoPreview individually for each folder. Microsoft has tightened the integration of Outlook and Exchange by optimizing performance when checking mail, even over low-bandwidth connections. Or use the cached-mode feature that synchronizes a local copy of your mail with the information on the server.
Exchange Server 2003 includes Outlook Web Access (OWA) and Outlook Mobile Access (OMA). OWA is formatted to act much like Outlook 2003--it has the same look and feel as the full-blown mail client. OMA is a low-bandwidth interface designed to run on mobile devices and supports HTML, XHTML and compact HTML. Before you rush to buy that new mobile device, though, check Microsoft's product-compatibility chart to make sure your new toy will work with these products. OMA can provide direct wireless synchronization with Pocket Outlook, which ships with many Windows mobile devices.
Another new feature is the ability to synchronize mail between Outlook and Exchange using an RPC (remote procedure call) over an HTTP connection. To accomplish this, all mail servers must be running Exchange 2003 on Windows XP SP1 or higher. Connecting client machines must be running Outlook 2003, and several registry changes are required on the server. The advantage to this configuration is that it allows communication with an Exchange server to be established outside the company firewall without requiring additional ports to be opened on the firewall. For loyal Microsoft sites, Exchange 2003 is likely to be embraced happily.
Exchange Server 2003. Microsoft Corp., (425) 882-8080. www.microsoft.com 
GroupWise 6.5 is probably best-suited for established Novell shops. Its requirements include running Novell Directory Service (NDS) or e-Directory and the Console One application for administration. All of this could force companies running other OSs to manage another directory. GroupWise runs on Windows, NetWare and Linux,
GroupWise is the only product we tested that includes an IM system with its mail server. The other two support IM, but require third-party clients. GroupWise Messenger is LDAP-enabled and ties into eDirectory for authentication. All its communications are encrypted using SSL. Users can record conversations to a private file for personal use, and server-side recording can be set up to comply with various government regulations.
