Inexpensive UCC/SAN Certificates
When Exchange Server 2007 was first released (even before then, if truth be told), there was quite an outrage that in order to use a simplified configuration process for Outlook Anywhere, OWA, and AutoDiscovery, the Exchange administrator had to use a special kind of SSL certiifcate that supports multiple Subject Alternative Names (SANs).
Now, most Exchange administrators had never heard of such a thing (I know that I hadn't).
A SAN certificate falls "in the middle" between a wildcard certificate (*.example.com) and a single-server certificate (www.example.com); including a feature that wildcard certificates cannot support - different domains in the alternative names. This allows a SAN certificate to have a list like this: mail.example.com, owa.example.com, autodiscover.example.com, mail.example.local, owa.example.local, and autodiscover.sample.local. Where the first three are EXTERNAL server names, and the last three are INTERNAL server names. Pretty slick, eh?
The problem was the cost. SAN certificates are MUCH more expensive than a single name cert. (Supply and demand, of course...)
Then, Microsoft began using SAN Certs in OCS 2007. The common name for a SAN certificate is gradually changing over to UC Certificate (for Unified Communications Certificate).
Microsoft only has three "certified" partners for providing UC certificates. They are presented in KB 929395 with prices from $325 to $599 per year for a UC certificate. Compare this to RapidSSL at $20 per year for a standard SSL certificate....(all prices in US dollars).
So, as competitive forces usually do, someone else came up with a less expensive solution.
Certificates for Exchange produces inexpensve UC certificates (starting at $30 per year) that work 100% with Exchange Server 2007 and all version of Windows Mobile 5 and up.
I am not associated with Certificates for Exchange in any way. I'm just happy that someone released an inexpensive UC certificate solution and thought you, my readers, would be too.
Until next time...
As always, if there are items you would like me to talk about, please drop me a line and let me know!