Exchange Server is a powerful email messaging system targeted at the corporate marketplace, that is increasingly being used within schools because of its competitive pricing and the ease of administration when compared to many web-mail based solutions.

As more and schools begin to take advantage of this situation some disadvantages of using such a powerful product in a school environment are being realised; most notably issues arising from the flexibility afforded students by the preferred client software ‘Microsoft Outlook’.

Outlook’s flexibility, whilst essential to business users, can cause problems when used in schools.  Some of the issues are minor, but some can result in considerable inconvenience, expense and lasting damage to the school’s reputation.

It is with these issues in mind that RedFox developed MiniMail, a mail client for Microsoft Exchange designed to co-exist on computers with Microsoft Outlook.  MiniMail has a simplified user interface, ‘Outlook without the bells and whistles’ and it allows you to gain control of how email is used in your school

Language Filter

MiniMail’s language filter will help avoid individuals inside or outside the school being exposed to offensive language sent by students on your network. You can specify what language is unacceptable and, if you want, have MiniMail inform you of any unacceptable use.  The language filter will also prevent students being exposed to offensive emails sent from outside your network.

File Attachment Limitations

Limit the likelihood of students introducing a virus or hacking tool onto your network (and reduce your expenditure on disk storage) by limiting the type and quantity of files users can send or receive via email.

Message Distribution Control

Avoid students sending messages to everyone in the school with an email address (including the Head) by limiting the maximum number of message recipients’ a user can select.

Run From Anywhere

MiniMail can reduce the time and energy required to configure the mail client for each user on every computer to zero by dynamically setting the user’s details the first time they use the program on each computer.

Centralised Administration

MiniMail's configuration is controlled entirely by network group policy which results in considerable time savings when making setting changes and security policy updates.