Outlook Web Access Service using Exchange: IT Services: University of Leicester

CONTENTS
1 Introduction
2 Obtaining Access
3 Features Available

Outlook Web Access allows registered users of the CFS service to access their CFS mail from anywhere in the world.

Connect to the service Outlook Web Access

PLEASE NOTE - If you access the Outlook Web Access service from a home computer or a non-CFS machine you are responsible for ensuring that appropriate virus protection is used on your system. See Sophos Anti-Virus Software for Home Use for information about how you can obtain a copy of this site licensed software.

2 Obtaining Access

When you connect to the Outlook Web Access service at http://webmail.le.ac.uk/ a page similar to the following is displayed:

[Outlook Web Access Screen]

NOTE: This page is automatically refreshed at regular intervals and will display any information about scheduled interruptions to the central computing services that may affect the Outlook Web Access service.

To access your email on the CFS service click on the Logon to your mailbox link which will display a "Security Alert" window. Click on OK to see the following window:

[*]

There are a number of options available on this Logon screen:

This is a public or shared computer
Select this option if you use Outlook Web Access on a public computer. Be sure to log off when you have finished using Outlook Web Access and close all windows to end your session.
This is a private computer
Select this option if you are the only person who uses this computer. Your server will allow a longer period of inactivity before logging you off.
Use Outlook Web Access Light
If you are using a browser other than Internet Explorer 6 or later, this option will be automatically selected. The "Light" client provides fewer features and is sometimes faster and you can also select this option if you are on a slow connection or using a computer with unusually strict browser security settings.

Check that the options selected on the Logon screen are correct and then type your CFS username and password in the appropriate boxes. Click on Log On and a window similar to the following is displayed from where you can access your email messages:

[*]

NOTE: If you are using a "public" computer please be sure to "log off" when you have finished. To do this click on the [*] icon which is on the right of the toolbar to log off and then close your browser to exit this service.

3 Features Available

The features available in the Outlook Web Access service using Exchange 2003 are outlined below together with the Web browser versions that support the features. You are encouraged to use the online help to obtain more information about these features.

FEATURE	FEATURE DESCRIPTION	PREMIUM VERSION (IE v5.01 or later)	BASIC VERSION (All browsers)
General User Interface Improvements
User interface updates	New color scheme, reorganized toolbars.	Yes	Yes
Item window sizing	During an Outlook Web Access session, item windows open at the last window size that was set by the user instead of always opening to a window size of 500 by 700 pixels.	Yes	No
View Improvements
Two-line mail view	New view orients the message list vertically instead of horizontally; it works well with the Preview Pane.	Yes	No
Preview pane	The Preview pane appears to the right of the message; attachments can be opened directly in the pane.	Yes	No
Mark as read or unread	Command permits users to mark unread messages as read, or to mark read messages as unread.	Yes	No
Quick flagging	Command permits users to assign a follow-up flag to messages.	Yes	No
Shortcut menu	A shortcut menu available in mail view; special shortcut menu also is available when you right-click the quick flag icon.	Yes	No
Keyboard shortcuts	When the message list is active, users can use keyboard shortcuts to perform common actions like creating a new message, marking messages as read or unread, or replying and forwarding messages list.	Yes	No
Items per page	Users can determine how many items appear per page in the E-mail, Contacts, and Tasks views.	Yes	Yes
Mail icons	Icons display the stage a message is at and the type of message.	Yes	Yes
Deferred view update	The view is refreshed automatically only after 20 percent of the messages are moved or deleted from a page, not after each deletion. This improves performance.	Yes	No
Navigation Improvements
New Navigation Pane	The unified user interface contains module shortcuts, a full folder tree, and the user can customize the width of the pane.	Yes	No
Search folders	Folders that a user creates by using Microsoft Outlook are shown in the folder tree.	Yes	No
Notifications	New e-mail and reminder notifications are shown in the Navigation pane.	Yes	No
Public folders	Public folders are shown in new window	Yes	No
Log Off now on toolbar	Log Off has moved out of the Navigation Pane to the toolbar.	Yes	No
Workflow Improvements
Spelling checker	Spelling checker is provided for e-mail messages.	Yes	No
New addressing wells	New integrated look and easier deletion of recipients.	Yes	No
Global Address List properties sheets	Properties sheets display the name, the address, and the phone information for resolved Global Address List users.	Yes: Available in received items, draft items, Check Names dialog box, Find Names dialog box	Yes: Only available in received items and draft items
Add to Contacts	Users can add resolved recipients in received mail or in drafts to main Contacts folder.	Yes: Feature in Properties sheets	No
Send mail from the Find Names dialog box	Users can send new messages to addresses that are found in the Find Names dialog box when the dialog box is invoked from View.	Yes	No
Open the Find Names dialog box from a message	Users can open the Find Names dialog box from a message and use it to add new recipients to a draft message. Users can also use the Find Names dialog box to add recipients to a contact distribution list.	Already available in past versions	Yes
Contacts in the Find Names dialog box	Users can search the main Contacts folder in the Find Names dialog box.	Yes	No
Automatic signature	Users can create a signature that is automatically included in the e-mail messages that they create.	Yes: HTML-based formatting; also on-demand insertion	Yes: Plain-text formatting; No: On-demand insertion
Default mail editor font	Users can customize a default font for the e-mail editor.	Yes	No
Block external content in HTML e-mail messages	Users can control options to block external content in e-mail.	Yes	Yes
Attachment blocking	Administrator options restrict access to some or all attachments that are in messages.	Yes	Yes
Sensitivity information bar	Sensitivity information appears in the information bar in the message header.	Yes	Yes
Reply and Forward information bar	Reply and Forward information appears in the infobar in the message header.	Yes<	Yes
No indent in replies	The reply header and the reply body are no longer indented.	Yes	Yes: Basic Outlook Web Access never indented
Encrypted and signed mail	Sending and receiving encrypted and signed e-mail is supported.	Yes: Internet Explorer 6 on Window 2000 or Window XP only	No
Rules Improvements
Rules	Users can create and manage server-based e-mail handling rules	Yes	No
Task Improvements
Personal tasks	Users can create and manage personal tasks, and receive reminders for these tasks.	Yes	Yes: But no reminder
Calendar Improvements
Reply and Forward for Meeting Requests	Users can now reply to senders of meeting requests and forward meeting request to other users.	Yes	Yes
Attendee reminder	Attendees can set their own reminder times for meeting requests that they receive.	Yes	No
View Calendar from a meeting request	Attendees can open Calendar from a meeting request	Yes	No

NOTE ALSO: There are improved keyboard shortcuts and the toolbars have been reorganized.