Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) 2003
Computing and Network Services has recently upgraded the University Exchange e-mail server from Exchange 2000 to Exchange 2003. (The Exchange server stores all @fairfield.edu mailboxes.) This upgrade gives us many new e-mail features including a new version of Outlook Web Access 2003 (OWA), the program we use to access our Exchange mailboxes over the internet.
OWA 2003
The process for accessing your e-mail over the internet using OWA has not changed. You can still use either www.fairfield.edu/mail or https://owa.fairfield.edu/exchange. Either web address takes you to your mailbox over the Internet. However, this new version of OWA 2003 gives you more features and functionality than in the past and is also faster than the previous version. More importantly, it looks almost exactly like the Outlook program on your Windows office computer! No features will be lost and no setup is required on your end.
As in the past, OWA supports the most features when you use Internet Explorer version 5.1 or higher as your internet browser. As a result, you will then use what is called: "OWA Premium" to access your mailbox. "OWA Basic" is for anyone else (Mac/Windows/Unix) using a browser other than Internet Explorer. They will notice several additional features in OWA 2003, but not as many as Internet Explorer users.
Below is a list of some of the new features in this version of OWA. *Items with an asterisk (*) are available only in OWA Premium, which is restricted to Internet Explorer running on Windows.
- Add a signature to your e-mails that you send from OWA
- Signature insertion on demand*
- Spell check your messages*
- Create rules*
- Search Folders *
- Junk E-mail management
- Right-click gives you Outlook commands
- Reading Pane layout *
- HTML editing of an e-mail*
- Preview Pane option *
- Improved Navigation Pane
- Open Attachments from Reading Pane and Preview Pane*
- Address Book improved*
- Create messages from Address Book*
- Request read or delivery receipt
- Distribution
- Lists New mail notification *
- Quick Flags*
- Drag & Drop Messages *
- Mark messages as read or unread*
- Forward or reply to a meeting request
- Invoke calendar from meeting request to see full schedule
- Create and manage Tasks, multiple views
- Task reminders*
For more information about the features within OWA 2003, please click on the following link to view the article entitled:
Feature Comparison between Outlook 2003 and Outlook Web Access 2003 Premium and Basic
Other Guides and Resources
For Frequently Asked Questions about OWA 2003, please click on the following link:
For information about how Internet browsers will work with OWA 2003, please click on the following link to view the article entitled:
Web Browser Support for OWA 2003
Important note: After using OWA, logging off properly and closing the browser helps prevent someone from using that computer to access your mailbox. This is especially important if you access your mailbox from Internet kiosks and computers in public places. Please safeguard your mailbox by always logging out of OWA and closing your browser.
C&NS will begin to move mailboxes to the new Exchange 2003 server (which will give you the enhanced version of OWA) on a department by department basis. Your department will be notified ahead of time.
C&NS has quick source reference guides for OWA 2003 available for you to use. We can send them to you in the mail upon request (e-mail C&NS at: cns@fairfield.edu). We also have documents explaining the new features of OWA 2003 which are available for download as well. These resources, tips and guidelines, and more information on OWA 2003 can be found at the same website: www.fairfield.edu/cns/cns_owa2003.html.
If you have any questions, please contact C&NS at extension 4069 or send an e-mail to cns@fairfield.edu.