How does Microsoft Exchange work?

Microsoft Exchange relies on the use of an Exchange server — a computer on which individual users' Exchange accounts are configured. An organization can maintain its own Exchange server or rely on Microsoft to do that via the cloud using a Microsoft 365 account.

Is Microsoft Exchange a web based email server?

Microsoft Exchange is an email server that runs on Windows Server operating systems. Exchange works with web-based mail clients like Microsoft Outlook, which can connect to and manage email from a variety of sources. In fact, Outlook is really optimized for Exchange and only works best when you're using an Exchange account.

What is exchange & how does it impact you?

Exchange itself is the server application that stores and manages all of this data for you. So, as a server program, how does this impact you? Well, it's the engine that powers two tools you might be very familiar: Microsoft Outlook, and its web-based cousin, Outlook Web Access.

What is Exchange ActiveSync & how does it work?

When you use a Microsoft Exchange account, email messages — along with calendar information and other Outlook details — are generally kept in sync between your Outlook client on a computer or mobile device and the Exchange server. This most often happens using a technology called Exchange ActiveSync.