Exchange Servers started in 1993 and have grown significantly since then. Microsoft built it on XENIX, a version of the Linux Operating System licensed from AT&T in the 70s. The company introduced Exchange Server in April 1993.
In January 1995, Exchange Server had around 500 users, which increased to 32,000 by 1996. Microsoft then migrated it to a beta version before launching the next version.
The company released Exchange Server 4.0 in 1996, officially selling it to the public as an upgrade for Microsoft Mail 3.5. It supported 400 client-server mailboxes with one database and 500 directories. Exchange Server 5.0 followed in 1997, introducing an Administrator console integrated into SMTP-based networks. This version also included an add-on feature called Internet Mail Connector, which enabled direct server communication.
Later in 1997, Microsoft launched Exchange Server 5.5 in two versions: Standard and Enterprise. The versions differed in storage limits, mail transport connectors, and the ability to cluster servers.
Exchange Server 2000 arrived in 2000 with many improvements and fewer limitations compared to Exchange Server 5.5. It supported multiple clusters and increased the database capacity. Microsoft also added instant messaging support and integrated Active Directory, which previous versions lacked.
Exchange Server 2003 followed in 2003, designed for Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003. This version made upgrades between operating systems smoother. Large organizations favored it since they could not afford downtime from dedicated server migrations.
Key features included disaster recovery, which helped administrators restore servers quickly while ensuring continuous email sending, receiving, and recovery from backups. Exchange Server 2003 also introduced built-in antivirus and anti-spam protection.
Microsoft released it in two editions: Standard and Enterprise. The Standard version supported 75GB of database storage, while the Enterprise edition allowed up to 16TB with 4 storage groups and 5 databases per group. However, this version worked only on 32-bit systems and could not be installed on a 64-bit Windows Server 2003.
Microsoft introduced Exchange Server 2007 in its beta version in 2006. It runs on both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Dedicated Servers. Compared to Exchange Server 2003, this version delivers better performance.
Exchange Server 2007 also introduces new features, including voice mail, advanced filter options, web service support, and an updated Outlook Web Access interface.
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