Comparing Outlook Web Access Premium and Outlook 2007
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.
Applies to: Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3
Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access 2007 Premium and Office Outlook 2007 are two of the most popular client applications that are used with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Although both of the client applications have been designed to provide a rich client experience for their users, it is important to understand the differences between the two applications.
The information in this topic can be used to compare the version of Outlook Web Access Premium that is included in Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Outlook 2007. To review a table that compares the Outlook Web Access features in the original release (RTM) version of Exchange 2007 with the Outlook Web Access features in Outlook Web Access SP1, in addition to Office Outlook 2003, and Outlook 2007, see Feature Comparison Between Outlook 2003, Office Outlook 2007, and Outlook Web Access 2007.
Office Outlook 2007 and Outlook Web Access 2007
Outlook 2007 is a full-featured e-mail and collaboration client. Outlook 2007 can include more features because it runs on code that is installed on the user's computer. Because Outlook 2007 can be used to store and access data on the local disk, it can include features that are not available from a Web-based e-mail client. The following are two examples of features that Outlook 2007 can provide because of its ability to store and access data on the local disk.
You can easily draft e-mail messages when you are not connected to the network.
You can use the custom dictionary feature that lets you add words to the dictionary (stored on the local disk) that is used by Outlook 2007 to check spelling.
Another reason that Outlook 2007 includes more features than Outlook Web Access is that it takes advantage of all the features of the 2007 Microsoft Office system. For example, you can use Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor and you can embed Microsoft Excel charts into the body of e-mail messages.
Outlook Web Access includes many of the features that information workers need in a robust e-mail and collaboration client. The following are some reasons that Outlook Web Access is a good client to choose for your users:
It provides access to an Exchange 2007 mailbox through a Web browser. It does not require that any other applications or components be installed on the computer. For information about the browsers that are supported for Outlook Web Access Premium and Outlook Web Access Light, see the "Browser Requirements for Outlook Web Access" section in Educating Information Workers About Outlook Web Access.
It is an ideal client for workers who are traveling or mobile.
It is convenient for workers who use multiple computers.
It can be used by users who do not have access to Office Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007.
It is ideal for users who rely on shared workstations for access to e-mail and calendar information.
It can be used over an internal network or through the Internet.
Summary of Features Not Supported in Outlook Web Access
The following is a summary of some features that are included in Outlook 2007 but are not provided in Outlook Web Access.
Display of multiple calendars
Propose new time for meetings
To Do Bar
Attach items to items
Pasting inline images
Hierarchical address book
Features that require that files be stored locally on the client computer, including the following:
Cached Exchange Mode
Offline access
Offline address book (OAB)
Custom dictionaries
Customizable views
.pst files
Import/export data
Send to Microsoft Office OneNote
For a table that shows more of the feature differences between Outlook 2007 and Outlook Web Access, see "Feature Differences" later in this topic.
Choosing Outlook Web Access 2007 Premium or Outlook 2007
Information workers can use Outlook 2007 to continue to work with their Exchange mailbox during the times they are not connected to the network. Similarly, if your users want to view complete calendars side-by-side or embed Excel charts into an e-mail message, you should choose Outlook 2007 for those users.
Consider Eric, a sales representative, who is an Outlook 2007 user. Eric is at the airport waiting for his flight. He can work offline to create and address e-mail messages to co-workers in his company's address book. He can include images inline in his sales document to make it more interesting to his audience. When he arrives at his hotel after the flight, connects to the Internet, and opens Outlook 2007, the e-mail that he drafted and addressed while he was working offline is sent immediately.
Feature Differences
The following table highlights most of the feature differences between Outlook Web Access 2007 Premium and Outlook 2007.
To review a table that compares the Outlook Web Access features in the original release (RTM) version of Exchange 2007 with the Outlook Web Access features in Outlook Web Access SP1, in addition to Office Outlook 2003, and Outlook 2007, see Feature Comparison Between Outlook 2003, Office Outlook 2007, and Outlook Web Access 2007.
| Feature | Supported in Office Outlook 2007 | Supported in Outlook Web Access 2007 Premium |
|---|---|---|
Cached Exchange Mode |
X |
|
Offline access |
X |
|
Offline Address Book |
X |
|
Custom dictionaries |
X |
|
Customizable views |
X |
|
Import and export data from other data sources, such as .pst files, database files, other messaging and contact systems, other calendaring applications |
X |
|
.pst file support |
X |
|
Send to Office OneNote |
X |
|
Hierarchical address book |
X |
|
Delegate control |
X |
|
RSS subscription and management |
X |
|
Voting buttons |
X |
|
Propose new time for meetings |
X |
|
Related search through right-click |
X |
|
Natural language search |
X |
|
Favorite folders |
X |
|
Windows SharePoint Services lists |
X |
|
Outlook Today page |
X |
|
To Do Bar |
X |
|
Customize navigation pane |
X |
|
Attach items to items (such as attaching a message in a meeting request) |
X |
|
Pasting inline images |
X |
|
Task request |
X |
|
Display of multiple calendars |
X |
|
Automatic formatting of calendar items |
X |
|
Secondary time zone in calendar view |
X |
|
Send and receive Internet faxes |
Send and receive |
Receive fax only |
Search Folders |
Full functionality |
Cannot create, can view only Search folders that have been initialized on the server |
Message editing tools |
Full functionality |
Limited |
Public folder permissions management |
X |
Public folder access is available through Outlook Web Access, but not PF permissions management |
Shared folders |
Through UI |
Through Web Parts |
Customization |
Full functionality |
Limited to custom forms |
Notes |
Full functionality |
View only |
Journal |
Full functionality |
View only |
Monthly calendar view |
Full functionality |
View only. You cannot print it. |
Searching |
Full functionality |
Not available in Calendar |
Access from almost any Web browser |
X |
|
Access to Windows SharePoint Services document libraries and Windows file shares |
X |
|
Segmentation. This lets administrators enable and disable e-mail features by using the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell. |
X |
|
Change user account password |
X |
|
Mobile device management |
X |
|
View mailbox quota |
X |
For More Information
For more information about Outlook, see the Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Web site. For information about the features and functionality included in Outlook Web Access, see Client Features in Outlook Web Access. Additionally, this topic includes information about the feature limitations in Outlook Web Access Light compared with Outlook Web Access Premium.
For information about the browsers that are supported for Outlook Web Access Premium and Outlook Web Access Light, see "Browser Requirements for Outlook Web Access" section in Educating Information Workers About Outlook Web Access.