Microsoft announced Exchange Server 5.5 at COMDEX/Fall in Las Vegas on November 17, 1997. That was not its manufacturing date or the date of its first general-release build: Microsoft said it had released the software to manufacturing on November 5, 1997, and its release table lists build 5.5.1960 as generally released on February 3, 1998.
Exchange Server 5.5 release dates
The dates refer to different stages of the product’s release, rather than competing answers to when it came out. Microsoft’s November 17, 1997 announcement said general availability was anticipated in early December. Microsoft Learn’s Exchange release table, however, records the general-release build in February 1998.
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| Milestone | Date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Released to manufacturing | November 5, 1997 | Microsoft said the software had been released to manufacturing before its public announcement. |
| Public announcement | November 17, 1997 | Microsoft announced Exchange Server 5.5 at COMDEX/Fall in Las Vegas. |
| Availability forecast | Early December 1997 | The announcement anticipated general availability around this time; it was a forecast, not the release-table date. |
| General-release build | February 3, 1998 | Microsoft Learn lists version 5.5, build 5.5.1960, on this date. |
What Microsoft said Exchange 5.5 was
Microsoft positioned Exchange Server 5.5 as part of its BackOffice family and described it as an Internet-standards-based messaging server. The launch announcement emphasized interoperability with Internet and legacy systems, with the product serving as a foundation for collaborative business solutions.
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Exchange Server 5.5 build and service-pack timeline
Microsoft Learn’s release table records the initial general-release build and four subsequent service packs:
| Release | Date | Build |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange Server 5.5 general release | February 3, 1998 | 5.5.1960 |
| Service Pack 1 | August 5, 1998 | 5.5.2232 |
| Service Pack 2 | December 23, 1998 | 5.5.2448 |
| Service Pack 3 | September 9, 1999 | 5.5.2650 |
| Service Pack 4 | November 1, 2000 | 5.5.2653 |
What was new in Exchange Server 5.5?
The launch announcement establishes Microsoft’s broad positioning—Internet standards, interoperability, and collaboration—but does not provide a complete feature-by-feature comparison with Exchange 5.0. It is therefore not enough to identify a definitive list of changes from the earlier release. The dates and builds above are the clearest documented facts for identifying Exchange 5.5 and its updates.
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