Public Folders or Sharepoint?

[cajuntank]

Ok, still trying to wrap my head around what Sharepoint actually is (still a little fuzzy, but getting there). So the question is, I am about to deploy my first Exchange 2007 server; have done many Exchange 2000 and 2003 installs for other people, but this will be the first 2007 on a network with no existing Exchange setup currently. I know I'll be ok with public folders classically used like in previous versions but if I need to use Sharepoint since this is what Microsoft is going to, what is your experience with using Sharepoint instead?
Also, does it have to be MOSS 2007 or can it be the free Sharepoint 3.0?

 

[egodette]

Unless you have a specific reason to use SharePoint, just use public folders.

 

[cajuntank]

I am finding out that public folder are being phased out in liue of Sharepoint. Also even though public folders are still installable in 2007, they are not viewable from OWA and since most of my users will be OWA, I will be going with at least Sharepoint if not MOSS 2007; just depends on how much added services I think I will need/use.

 

[cajuntank]

Sorry, looks like they might make public folders viewable when SP1 comes out. But I think I'm still going with Sharepoint in some form.

 

[Zelandakh]

PFs are absolutely viewable through OWA.

PFs are not accessible through the Exchange Management Console pre SP1.

 

[cajuntank]

Well, I got some deciding to do. Can anyone using Sharepoint for folders give me some opinion on how they like or dislike?

 

[Stevehewitt]

Works really well with SharePoint. The integration is superb. If you're going to have SharePoint already installed you'd be silly not to use SP over PF.

SP all the way, why use legacy technology that you know is going to be phased out (almost certianly not in the next release of Exchange)



Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

 

[GrimR]

does share point free version not have a restriction on database size?

 

[cajuntank]

I have both Exchange 2007 Unleashed and Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007 Unleashed and the only material these books mention about folders is that yes it can do it and it's the way Microsoft is going. There is no outline or procedure of how to deploy this integration. I have never dealt with Sharepoint; is there a good link someone can provide stepping through the process?

 

[cajuntank]

Ok... I just read a blog from msexchangeteam.com that stated:

"All current versions of Outlook (from 97 through 2003) and Exchange (4.0 through 2003) require Public Folders to be deployed – Public Folders are required within an organization until all Outlook clients are upgraded to Outlook 2007, all mailboxes have been migrated to E12, and of course, no Public Folder applications are still used."

After further reading, am I correct in assuming that unless I have all of my clients using Outlook 2007 or OWA, that I have to use Public Folders? Or has this changed?
The blog post was back early of 2006.

 

[GrimR]

our one office is using SharePoint services and Outlook 2003 and earlier versions, no problem, after all sharepoint was released long before OL2007