History of Microsoft Exchange Server

The first release of Microsoft Exchange Server was version 4.0 in April 1996, when it was sold as an upgrade to Microsoft Mail 3.5. Before that, Microsoft Mail v2.0 (written by Microsoft) was replaced in 1991 by "Microsoft Mail for PC Networks v2.1",[1] based on Network Courier from its acquisition of Consumers Software.[2] Exchange Server was an entirely new X.400-based client–server mail system with a single database store that also supported X.500 directory services. During its development, Microsoft migrated their own internal email from a Xenix-based system to Exchange Server from April 1993,[3] with all 32,000 Microsoft mailboxes on Exchange by late 1996.[3][4] The directory used by Exchange Server eventually became Microsoft's Active Directory service, an LDAP-compliant directory service. Active Directory was integrated into Windows 2000 as the foundation of Windows domains.

  1. ^ "Microsoft Mail: Solid, less graphical". Computerworld. August 26, 1991. The box says Microsoft Mail for PC Networks v2.1, but under the hood users will find Consumer Software Inc's, Network Courier…
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference courier was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference xenix1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference xenix2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).