Migrating from Exchange 5.5

One-Step Migration from Exchange 5.5 to Features + Performance

With Microsoft having ended the supported life-cycle of Exchange 5.5, organizations find themselves having to migrate to a newer version of Exchange. With migration to a newer Exchange server comes headaches and hassles associated with them. Indeed, many found the migration process from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2003 so challenging that they chose to forgo migrating entirely.

Unfortunately, Exchange 5.5 is no longer supported by Microsoft, and mainstream support for Exchange 2003 ends in less than two years. On paper, Exchange 2007 looks to be the best choice for migration, but the reality is that there are large obstacles to overcome in Migrating from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2007.

Exchange 5.5 cannot be migrated directly to Exchange 2007

To upgrade to Exchange 2007 from Exchange 5.5, you have to first migrate to Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 and then migrate to a new Exchange 2007 server. There is no other way to migrate to Exchange 2007 from Exchange 5.5.

Exchange 2007 must be given a fresh install

Exchange 2000/2003 cannot be upgraded directly to Exchange 2007, rather, Exchange 2007 must be installed on a different machine, and have the existing Exhange accounts migrated to it.

Exchange 2007 requires a 64-Bit platform

Exchange 2007 is x86-64 only. While it can be installed on a 32-bit machine, Microsoft states that this is only for training purposes, and it is not supported for production systems.

PostPath Can Help

Given all the challenges of migrating from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2007, the PostPath Server can help ease the burden. Given its drop-in, plug-compatible nature, the PostPath Server can be installed alongside your existing Exchange servers while providing all the features and connectivity that Exchange offers.

If a new server is needed, the PostPath Server gives you the option of buying more cost-effective 32-bit systems. The PostPath Server also allows your organization to buy lower-cost storage solutions, meaning you can provide larger mailboxes for the same price. Add the ability to use standards-based filtering and backup solutions rather than expensive Exchange-specific tools, lower cost CAL, automatic failover, ability to be virtualized, and the case for the PostPath becomes even larger.

Try the Free 12-User PostPath Server or the Live Demonstration Server, and see if the PostPath Server can help you with your Exchange Migration challenges.