By Cynthia Morgan

Microsoft has buttressed its Exchange Server release with promises of add-in networking tools that touch just about every networkable area, from terminal emulation to groupware. The strategy may give Microsoft a real chance to crack the Lotus Notes market.

The add-ins come mostly from outside developers, and many are simply new editions of popular Notes apps. Symantec's FormFlow 2.0 will support Exchange Server's public/ private folder system and replication. Verity, whose topicSearch is the leading search-and-retrieval application in the Notes arena, has shipped a similar product for Exchange Server. It includes an electronic conferencing program and Web management tools.

Several companies will build on Exchange's fax and remote capabilities. Optus, OmTool and Fenestrae will build fax capabilities into Exchange's already familiar e-mail client. The highly regarded FACSys 4.1 fax server, from Optus, also lets administrators balance fax loads across multiple servers according to cost, queue and traffic data.

Microsoft is also promoting Exchange Server as a gateway to outside services. A deal with Individual, for example, will provide customized news.

Still, workgroup tools need time to mature. Microsoft has provided an easy migration from mail to groupware by letting administrators add apps to an existing mail server as needed. Within a year, Exchange may be the big player on Windows networks, es-pecially those with NT. But those on heterogeneous networks won't transfer anytime soon.

Even users who do switch will probably go slow. Mesa Group's new JumpStart, for example, translates Notes 3.x databases into discussion files in Exchange folders. Users can set rules for retaining threads and converting attachments. It can be used as a con-version tool or to let Notes and Exchange servers co-exist.