Microsoft has long been touting the advantages of using Exchange and SharePoint together, and the integration between the two has been improving with each release. One of the new benefits found in Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 are new enhancements to Exchange’s SharePoint integration: Site Mailboxes, eDiscovery Center, Unified Contact Store and User Photos.
Site Mailboxes
Many environments use Exchange for email and SharePoint for documents, and in the past that meant using different interfaces to access each. Here’s where Site Mailboxes come in. Microsoft describes Site Mailboxes as a “centralized filing cabinet” that allows site members to access a SharePoint site’s email and documents in either Outlook or SharePoint.
eDiscovery Center
For some businesses, the archiving and preservation of email and documents is required for governmental compliance, for legal review or by their own internal guidelines. In the past, this task had to be managed in Exchange for email and then again in SharePoint for data. With Exchange 2013 and SharePoint 2013, the new eDiscovery Center offers a central place to monitor, archive and preserve both emails and documents.
Unified Contact Store
Unified Contact Store (UCS) is a new functionality that shares a user’s contacts across Exchange, Outlook Web App and SharePoint.
User Photos
Exchange 2013 now allows a user to store photos that will be accessible in Outlook, Outlook Web App and SharePoint. It also maintains a consistent profile photo across these services.
If your small business uses both Exchange and SharePoint, it may be time to consider upgrading to Exchange Server 2013 and SharePoint 2013. When it comes time to make that decision, Minneapolis-based IT support company OAC Technology can help. We’ve been helping small businesses with their IT needs for over 10 years and can help keep your business’s technology running smoothly. Contact us today for a free consultation.
