Microsoft's infrastructure is responsible for a huge percentage of global enterprise email, both on their cloud-based Office365 service - and through their on-premise Microsoft Exchange Server solutions, heavily popular with the public sector and private alike. Their live.com service (formerly Hotmail) is a well-known free platform too.

When dealing with the mail aspect specifically, you will have likely seen the terms OWA (Outlook Web Access) and EWS (Exchange Web Services) thrown around constantly in documentation and correspondence. You know these relate to your Microsoft infrastructure and email in some way but...

What exactly are we dealing with - and what do you need from us at Deskpro?

OWA is a browser-based web app - through the years it has existed plainly as "Outlook" or "Outlook on the Web". It is an email client, similar to Microsoft Office Outlook, or competing software such as Mac Mail, Mail App, and Thunderbird - except accessible from any computer through a web browser.  You visit OWA to check your email on the go.

EWS is a different concept. This is a backend, and non-end user-facing service tool exposed to the internet so applications, such as Deskpro, can connect to Office365 or a private Exchange system to relay email. It is referred to as an API (Application Programming Interface) - allowing programmers to integrate calendars, contacts, and other aspects beyond just email relay. It is not something an end-user would ever access day to day.

What do I need to send mail through Deskpro On-Premise?

Most mail servers will have traditional  IMAP/POP and SMTP service exposed, so you can use that. In specific cases, where these are disabled, Deskpro needs access only to the EWS address. The Deskpro server must be able to access the address over the internet, or on a private network.  This will always be in the format of something like: 

https://mail.example.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx

We use Office365, how do I access EWS?

As a hosted cloud platform, each Office365 user connects to the same EWS URL.

https://outlook.office365.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx

Where do I set this up in Deskpro On-Premise?

You set this up in the same way you would any other email account.  Instead, you would enter the EWS address without the https:// - enter your desired email address and password - and Deskpro will handle the rest. You are afforded plenty of flexibility in how Deskpro On-Premise handles incoming emails.

If you have any further questions, please reach out to our support team.