Hosted Messaging and Collaboration version 4.0 - Hosting Providers - Microsoft
Components - Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration 4.5
Tested and supported by Microsoft, Hosted Messaging and Collaboration version 4.5 integrates hosted customer services with infrastructure components running on a platform based on either the Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003 operating system. Hosted services provide revenue-generating, managed applications that service providers can offer to business customers and others. Infrastructure components play a key role in streamlining the management, administration, and monitoring of Hosted Messaging and Collaboration environments.

Hosted Services
Hosted services serve as the solution’s revenue-generating components. The following table describes the hosted services available with Hosted Messaging and Collaboration and the associated Microsoft technologies and functions.

Component

Product

Functions

Hosted Exchange

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1)

·          Unified Messaging: With Outlook Voice Access, Unified Messaging–enabled users can access their Exchange Server 2007 SP1- based mailboxes using analog, digital, or cellular telephones.

·          Clustering: Exchange Server 2007 SP-1 includes functionality that provides high availability for mailbox servers. Data replication capabilities help drive increased availability at a lower cost.

Windows SharePoint Services Hosting

Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

·          Private Web site hosting for customers for document and information sharing.

·        With customizable application templates enable service providers to offer applications as value-added services to their customers.

Synchronous Communications

Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007

  • Includes instant messaging (IM) and audio and video conferencing.

  • Supports presence, which helps users see at a glance if someone is available and contact that person with a click using IM, a voice call, or a video conference.

Infrastructure Components
Service providers can streamline the management, administration, and monitoring of their hosting environments through the Hosted Messaging and Collaboration 4.5 infrastructure components. Deploying these components in a data center can significantly lower operational costs and increase the scalability of a hosting platform.

The infrastructure components provide directory services, data storage, provisioning, software update management, and other technologies that help manage and automate data center operations and administration. The following table summarizes the hosting infrastructure components and the associated Microsoft technologies and functions.

Component

Product

Functions

Centralized management

Active Directory

Centrally manages users, accounts, servers, group policies, services, and security.

Monitoring and reporting

Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 (MSCOM)

Proactively monitors both internal data center and customer site operations; includes step-by-step guidance on developing management packs for hosted applications.

Service provisioning

Microsoft Provisioning System (MPS)

Automates routine administrative service management tasks such as adding new users and provisioning applications and services.