Windows Vista isn't the only major new release that Microsoft has scheduled to release to manufacturing this year. Microsoft officials have confirmed that Exchange 2007 is scheduled to RTM this December.
The announcement was made at a keynote address by product manager David Lemson, and was then blogged by Exchange MVP Paul Robichaux. Exchange 2007 is a big update for Microsoft. Key areas of focus for the new version are improved security, better web access, and more recovery and repair tools.
Selling a new version of Exchange to businesses is always a tough proposition. Enterprise customers are less likely to want to buy the "latest and greatest," especially if what they already have works well. However, Microsoft is sure to make a big push for upgrading to the latest version. Microsoft claims that over 80,000 internal mailboxes have already been upgraded to Exchange 2007.