Antispam, Archive, Rule System: Exchange Server Enhanced

On systems managed by ALVIKO, all features of the Exchange Server Toolbox are utilized:

• GoBD certified email archive
• spam filter
• virus protection
• rule system

Mr. Mueller installs the Outlook add-in on each client computer. The add-in grants users access to different features offered by the Exchange Server Toolbox and enables them to easily search their email archives.

Archive Emails Securely

German laws are strict when it comes to archiving business communication. The “principles regarding the proper keeping and preservation of books, records and documents in electronic format and regarding data access” (German: “GoBD”) dictate that emails have to be stored in their original format and be machine-readable. They also state that each change in the emails has to be logged.

The Exchange Server Toolbox is a GoBD certified archiving solution. It enables Mr. Mueller‘s customers to comply with the GoBD.

Add an Email Archive

Often new customers will have old email archives or even random assortments of emails they want (or are required) to copy to their new server. The Exchange Server Toolbox provides a solution: the import feature enables Mr. Mueller to import old emails and integrate them into the new archive.

When accessing the archive, the Exchange Server Toolbox differentiates between imported and archived emails and marks the latter. Separating correctly archived emails from old communication might be important for businesses operating under stricter archiving laws.

Importing old emails offers many advantages:

• Uphold continuity: All emails are stored in the same archive.
• Old emails can be found via the Outlook add-in
• The load on the Exchange Server is lightened.
• Customers can set retention periods to automatically remove very old emails from the archive

Spam-free Inboxes Thanks to SpamAssassin

The Exchange Server Toolbox comes with a preconfigured and ready-to-use spam filter. The well-known SpamAssassin reaches remarkable detection rates and will continually improve its detection rate the longer it is used.

Users can further improve the self-learning spam blocker by training it via the Outlook add-in.

Intelligent Rule System

The flexible rules engine working inside the Exchange Server Toolbox facilitates automated email processing. Emails can be read or passed to external applications. Mr. Mueller‘s customers often create their own rules to perfectly fit their requirements. One customer, for example, has the Exchange Server Toolbox send out notifications; another logs emails from certain senders by copying the email text to a file and sending out an alert.

Use Case

A legal firm specializing in patent law has ten users. The firm uses a Small Business Server in a virtual environment (VMware) and processes ca. 40,000 emails per year. After installing the Exchange Server Toolbox, administrators imported old emails from the previous years. The  following  rules  make  sure  that  the  archive  works  in  accordance  with  German  laws  but  does not accumulate ballast in the form of emails the firm is not required to store:

• senders and recipients not affected by the GoBD,
• private senders and recipients,
• system-integrated anonymous senders (i.e. SmartPOP2Exchange, virus scanner etc.)

Emails matching the lists are automatically excluded from the archive. This ensures that the archive only contains emails the firm is required to store.

Clear Recommendation for Exchange Server Toolbox

The Exchange Server Toolbox adds relevant functionalities to the server, improves email security, and enables users to safely archive important emails. Mr. Mueller concludes:

"The plugin greatly reduces the rate of spam emails reaching inboxes; the included Outlook add-in facilitates spam training and easy access to older emails. In short, it enhances the Exchange Server and is the ideal plug-in for professional environments. This is why I will continue to recommend the Exchange Server Toolbox to our customers."

Usefil Hint

The combination of Exchange Server Toolbox and SmartPOP2Exchange provides additional synergies.