The integration of Outlook 2007 with Internet Explorer allows you to browse the Internet without leaving Outlook 2007. This feature is handy when you need to retrieve a file, view online documents, or otherwise access data on the Web but don’t want to open Internet Explorer. The Outlook 2007 ability to browse the Web allows you to continue working in a single interface and avoid switching between open applications.

The Web toolbar includes an Address box in which you can enter the URL for a Web-related resource, such as a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site or a Web site, as shown in Figure 4-38. To view a site in Outlook 2007, type the URL in the Address box, and then press Enter. Alternatively, you can click the arrow next to the Address box to select a URL that you’ve visited previously. (Please note that using the Outlook 2007 interface to view a Web site will change the Web site’s appearance and content.) The Stop and Refresh buttons on the toolbar perform the same function they do in Internet Explorer. When you want to go back to working with your Outlook 2007 folders, simply select the folder you need from the Navigation Pane or the Folder List.

Figure 4-38. You can use Outlook 2007 to browse Web sites and other Web resources.

Outlook 2007 includes support for connecting to Exchange Server with HTTP, the standard protocol used to access Web sites. HTTP access to Exchange Server in Outlook 2007 is not the same as using Outlook Web Access (OWA) or Outlook Anywhere (the Exchange Server 2007 name for OWA) to view your mailbox from a Web browser. Instead, Outlook 2007 itself can use HTTP to send and receive messages and interact with your Exchange Server mailbox in other ways.

Using HTTP for access to a computer running Exchange Server provides greater flexibility for remote access with Outlook 2007 and simplifies network security configuration for Exchange Server and network administrators. Remote access and the use of HTTP in Outlook 2007 are covered in Chapter 43.