What is Unified Communications?

Unified Communications certificates are SSL certificates aiming to secure mail server solutions such as Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Live Communications Server. Those mailservers require several subdomains to function: owa.mydomain.com for Outlook Web Access, the webmail, mail.mydomain.com as the mailserver's hostname, and autodiscover.mydomain.com for auto-configuration of e-mail clients.

An UCC certificate is nothing more or nothing less than a SAN SSL certificate, which allows other Subject Alternative Names to be added aside from the base domain name, or in other words a certificate that contains server aliases.

Why order a UCC SSL certificate?

Some Certificate Authorities like to hawk their wares as UCC certificates, and do not refrain from advertising they're the one and only provider of UCC certificates. In fact, all major certificate vendors offer SAN certificates in their product line-up, and there's absolutely no need to buy an SSL Certificate specifically aimed at UCC: every SAN certificate works in the same way and can be deployed for Unified Communications.

UCC SSL certificates are typically presented with support for the three domain names you need:the above-mentioned owa, mail and autodiscover subdomains. If your aim is to secure www.mydomain.com and mydomain.com as well in one fell swoop, you'll have to buy extra SAN licenses to do this with just one certificate.

The holy grail UCC SSL certificate?

GlobalSign is currently the only Certificate Authority to offer free support for the owa, mail and autodiscover domains on all its certificates. If tou need to secure both your webserver and your mailserver, you may be able to drive that hole-in-one that's so elusive on the links: by ordering a certificate for www.mydomain.com, and adding free support for non-www, mail, owa and autodiscover domains, you'll be left with enough change in your pocket for a round of drinks at the club bar - employer permitting.

GlobalSign's DomainSSL, a certificate that's certainly not the budget option in other circumstances, comes out as bright and shining if you wish to secure www, non-www, mail, owa et autodiscover with a single certificate^*.

^* We'd like to bring attention to the fact that Kinamo aims to be your independent counsel in the certificate jungle, and that the the suggestion above is only made because we're convinced we've found the soft spot for customers with those specific needs. Also, references to the noble art of golf have been inspired mainly by the author's appreciation of P.G. Wodehouse, and not by his abysmal handicap..