Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP3

Topic Last Modified: 2013-02-20

This topic provides you with an overview of important new features and functionality in Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. This overview can be useful when you’re planning, deploying, and administering your organization. The following sections include information about changes to features and functionality that have occurred since the release of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2 (SP2):

In addition to the changes described in this topic, Exchange 2010 SP3 also includes fixes that address issues identified since the release of Exchange 2010 SP2. For a complete list of issues that are fixed in Exchange 2010 SP3, see Issues That Are Fixed in Exchange 2010 SP3. If you're also interested in the release notes for Exchange 2010 SP3, see Release Notes for Exchange Server 2010 SP3.

For more information about the features introduced in previous versions of Exchange 2010, see the following topics:

Exchange 2013 Coexistence support

You must install Exchange 2010 SP3 if you want to run Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 in a coexistence mode. You can't perform an in-place upgrade from Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2013. However, you can install an Exchange 2013 CU1 server in the existing Exchange 2010 organization after you install Exchange 2010 SP 3. For more information about how to install an Exchange 2013 server in the existing organization, see Install Exchange 2013 in an Existing Exchange 2010 Organization.

After you perform this procedure, your organization will be running in a coexistence mode. You can maintain this mode indefinitely, or you can immediately complete the upgrade to Exchange 2013 by moving all resources from Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2013, and then decommissioning the Exchange 2010 servers. For more information about how to upgrade to Exchange 2013, see Upgrade from Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2013.

Sent Items Management feature

Exchange 2010 SP3 introduces the Sent Items Management feature to Office Outlook Web Access (OWA). The Sent Items Management feature provides control over whether an item that is “sent as” you, or “on behalf of” you, is copied to your Sent Items folder and to the sender’s Sent Items folder. Before Exchange 2010 SP3, messages that are “sent as” you or “on behalf of” you are copied only to the sender's Sent Items folder.

You can configure the Sent Items Management feature in OWA on the Options page. After Exchange 2010 SP3 is installed, the Sent Items Options settings will be available on the Options page in OWA.

Windows Server 2012

Exchange 2010 SP3 can be used together with Windows Server 2012. For more information about operating system supportability, see Exchange Server Supportability Matrix.