Overview

Microsoft® Exchange Server is a client-server messaging and workgroup system that offers a transparent connection to many different communications systems. It provides users with an innovative electronic mail system, individual and group scheduling, online forms, and workflow automation tools. It provides you, the developer, with a platform on which to build custom information-sharing and messaging-service applications.

Microsoft Exchange Server’s development environment includes the following features:

• Transparent connection to existing networks and mail servers Allows you to develop a single application that can be used across several platforms without writing or installing any new network software.
• Programmer’s interface with Microsoft® Windows NT® Server network operating system and Microsoft Office Allows you to extend features that can be included in your applications.
• Transparent interface with common add-in applications Provides options for extending the feature set you can build into your applications.
• Built-in security features Includes automatic encryption of messages and information stored in folders, support for digital signatures, and support for passwords and access control lists for files and directories.

You can embed features of the following tools into Microsoft Exchange Server applications that you design:

• Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator’s Program Allows you to extend and automate your applications using special functions and extension DLLs.
• Code Samples An extensive set of code samples can be installed to add additional features to your system or can be modified to produce custom applications.
• Microsoft Schedule+ Provides calendar, group scheduling, contact management, and other tools you can use to extend your application.
• Microsoft Exchange Server Forms Designer A visual nonprogramming design tool that can be used to embed a form into an application, or to build a server application based on a form.