OWA 2010- What makes it so great?

I use email to correspond with end users at SJFC as well as family, old friends, and including newsletters that I subscribe to as I am sure all of you do as well.  I have always used the Outlook client version, even on my laptop-never relying on the web version.  With Exchange 2010 implementation, OWA (Outlook Web App) has changed my mind, it is almost a mirror image of the Outlook desktop experience.

At Fisher we have migrated to Exchange 2010, our students are using OWA as well as Faculty and Staff.  Sharing is what I do... so take a look at just a few new features to help make your email experience efficient and easier to navigate around the world of OWA!


Conversation View
Within OWA and Outlook 2010 this is one of my favorite new features.  By default the conversation view is turned on grouping all email messages based on the same subject together.

• Change/remove the Conversation View as well as the Reading Pane
• Look at additional Conversation options

1. From the View menu, click on Use Conversations to remove.  Adjusting or turning off the Reading Pane can also be changed from the View menu. 












Additional info: OWA Help Topic:http://help.outlook.com/en-us/140/ee373833.aspx


2.  With a message open, at the top, is a menu including the ability to use Flags, Categorize, move to a folder along with the standard Reply, Reply All, and Forward commands.

3.  Opening a Shared Calendar, side-by-side is a along waited addition to the web mail experience for many Outlook users. 

4.  Open another user's Inbox, you can now select another mailbox from the Global Address List and it appears in the Navigation Bar below your mailbox.

• Right-click on your name within the Navigation Bar on the left and select Open Other User's Inbox

5.  Mac users rejoice--OWA supports the same experience on a Mac with Firefox and Safari. Previously IE was the only browser used to view full version of webmail. 

6.  Edit and mange Public Distribution Lists, this is a great addition to webmail.  I have had several requests on how to accomplish this task so I created a 1 page pdf and posted to OIT website.  Check it out! 

There are more new features, leave a comment and let me know your favorite! The more we share the more we learn.  Thanks for reading.

Internet Explorer 8- change the default search provider

During a training session this morning, I was asked; " How to change the default search engine within Internet Explorer?"  At first I thought this must be easy, Tools>Internet Options and so on, but it took a little searching to find out where Internet Explorer hides/buries the ability to change  the default search provider (Bing).  It's easy if you know where to look and what to click on.  I use Google for searching, find your favorite and set it as the default with the steps below.  Kudos to those attending my training session today, for a great question and for working together to find out the solution. It is true when people work together anything is possible.

1.  Launch Internet Explorer, click on Tools, and select Internet Options.

2.  Within the Internet Options dialog box, from the General tab,  and within the Search section click on Settings.

3.  Within the Manage Add-ons dialog box with Search Providers selected, click on Find more search providers... at the bottom of the dialog box.

 

4.  Internet Explorer will display a selection of Search Providers, if the search provider you are looking for doesn't appear use the search feature to locate; i.e., Google.

5.  Click on the search provider link, from the Internet Explorer Gallery Add-ons web page, click on Click to Install and from the Add Search Provider dialog box click on Add.

6. From Internet Explorer, click on Tools, and select Internet Options. 

7.  Within the Internet Options dialog box, from the General tab,  and within the Search section click on Settings.

8.   Within the Manage Add-ons dialog box with Search Providers selected you will see the new Search Provider (Google) listed, select it, and click on Set as default.

9.  Click on Close and OK.