What's Coming in Exchange 2016
Coming soon!
Information Systems will be upgrading our Exchange e-mail system to version 2016. With that upgrade comes many improvements and new features, including a new web interface called Outlook on the Web (formerly Outlook Web App).
The upgrade itself will consist of two phases. More information on when these changes are coming will be sent via e-mail a few days before the changes take place.
The first phase of the upgrade will result in a change to the Outlook Web App (OWA) login page located at: outlook.depaul.edu. The new OWA login page will look like the image below. Once successfully logged in, the rest of OWA will have the same look and feel that you are used to.
The second phase of the upgrade will result in a major change to the look and feel of OWA. This phase will take place over several months where some users will be connecting to the old OWA and some will be connecting to the new OWA. We will be contacting you individually via e-mail before this change will effect your mailbox. After this phase, you will be logging into the new web interface called Outlook on the Web. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with some of the
common tasks within Outlook on the Web.
Feature Improvements
As mentioned above, with this upgrade to Exchange 2016, comes many improvements and new features. These improvements will not take effect until after the second phase of the upgrade has been completed. Some of these improvements are listed below.
Adding attachments in Outlook on the Web
Adding attachments in the web interface is no longer an issue with Outlook on the Web 2016. It has been optimized for use with most modern browsers, including current releases of Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari.
Accessing additional mailboxes in Outlook on the Web
In Outlook on the Web 2016, if you have been granted full access rights to another mailbox, such as a resource mailbox, the mailbox will now show up automatically in your folder list on the left. If you have been granted only partial or delegate access, you will need to continue to use the same methods.
Recovering Deleted Items in Outlook on the Web
In Outlook on the Web 2016 when recovering using the “Recover Deleted Items” option. The item is restored to its original folder. In previous versions, it was restored to the Inbox folder only.
Optimized Mobile Device Interface
The Outlook on the Web 2016 user interface has been optimized for use with smart phones and tablets. It includes platform-specific experiences for both iOS and Android and a premium Android experience when using Chrome on devices running Android 4.2 or later.
Mobile Device Limit
Exchange 2016 allows up to 100 devices to connect to single mailbox using ActiveSync. Previously, this was limited to 10 devices.
Improved Searching
When connecting to an Exchange 2016 mailbox using Outlook 2016, searching will be faster and more accurate. When connected to the DePaul network, Outlook 2016 will perform a server-side search first. This means, no more “Find more on the server” message and no more waiting for items to be cached and indexed before searching for them. Searching is also more intelligent with improved search suggestions, people suggestions, and search refiners.
Inline Video in Outlook on the Web
When inserting a video link into an e-mail, Outlook on the Web 2016 will automatically create an inline preview of the video in the message, keeping the video within the context of the conversation.
Link Preview in Outlook on the Web
When inserting a link into an e-mail, Outlook on the Web 2016 will automatically generate a rich preview to give recipients a peek into the contents of the destination. This works with video links as well.
Additional Outlook on the Web Features
E-mail
- Single-line view of the Inbox
- Optimized reading pane
- Emoji
- Ability to undo actions like deleting or moving a message
- Add images to signatures
Calendar
- Updated look
- Email reminders for Calendar events
- Propose new meeting times
- Improved search
- Birthday Calendars
Known Issues
Unable to access delegate/resource mailbox in OWA
If you have been moved to the new Outlook on the Web 2016 web interface, you may not be able to access the mailbox of someone who is still on the old Outlook Web App interface. If you have been granted full access rights by an Exchange Administrator, it will continue to function. If you have been delegated rights to specific folders by the mailbox owner, it will not function. According to Microsoft, this is by design behavior. Until that mailbox has also been moved to the Outlook on the Web 2016 interface, you will need to use the Outlook Desktop App to access the mailbox.