Custom Exchange Server Interface In Vb.NET and Get New Email From Exchange Server Via VB.net

I am building an information portal and am wondering if it is possible to get the users new email from the exchange server and display it in my app/web portal.  It would be usefule because instead of the users having to log in to the information portal for general information and then their email, they could do it all from one page.  I was thinking about displaying the current OWA interface in an iframe on the page but was hoping for something that wouldn't take up so much room.  One idea would be to display the titles of all new email messages on the page.  Any help would be much appreciated. Also the application is written in vb.net