Outlook Web Access (OWA) lacks the native ability to access files that are not stored on the local client computer. If a document is stored on a remote file share (behind your corporate firewall), and you do not have virtual private network (VPN) access, there's no way to locate the file.
AttachWay for Outlook Web Access is an OWA add-in that fills this feature void. It offers remote access to network file shares through the OWA interface.
With AttachWay, you can attach network files to an OWA email no matter where you're accessing OWA -- e.g., from a public network kiosk or home computer that doesn't have VPN connectivity.
AttachWay adds a new button to the standard OWA interface that allows browsing of local or remote files. By default, users are granted access to the same sets of files they would have if they logged on internally to the same domain. Administrators can grant or restrict access to directories as needed.
In addition to the browsing capabilities, AttachWay permits users to read network documents locally via SecureView, a secure document viewing feature built into AttachWay for Outlook Web Access.
SecureView allows most document types to be previewed remotely without having to download and open a file, which could create the security risk of leaving a file behind in an untrustworthy environment.
OWA users can also browse and manage their network file shares. AttachWay presents a set of file manipulation commands -- copy, move, create new folders, etc. -- that strongly resembles Internet Explorer commands.
A free 30-day trial download of AttachWay for Outlook Web Access is available; the product is licensed by the total number of users (a 10-user license is $595).
About the author: Serdar Yegulalp is editor of Windows Insight, a newsletter devoted to hints, tips, tricks, news and goodies for all flavors of Windows users.
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