Enabling Incoming Email Functionality in SharePoint

As previously mentioned, SharePoint 2010 can process inbound email messages and accept them and their attachments as content for SharePoint document libraries, lists, and discussion groups. Indeed, SharePoint technically does not require the use of Exchange for this component, as it utilizes its own SMTP virtual server that it can use to accept email from any SMTP server, including non-Exchange boxes.

Integration with Exchange, however, has significant advantages for SharePoint. Most notably, new email-enabled content within SharePoint can be configured to have contacts within Exchange automatically created within a specific organizational unit (OU) in Active Directory. This makes it so that email administrators don’t need to maintain the email addresses associated with each SharePoint list or document library in the farm.