| Over two years ago I began working with a | | | | Both clients have estimated to be spending |
| couple of SMB clients (around 30 staff in each) | | | | around $5000 AUD p.a. and estimate to have |
| who were going to lose access to their Exchange | | | | saved at least that much again each year in |
| Server infrastructure as a result of being sold by | | | | licensing and consulting fees. The best part is that |
| their parent company to become part of a much | | | | administration requirements are almost zero, and |
| smaller organisation. | | | | the service has always worked. |
| The new business owners were faced with | | | | Upsides and Downsides |
| making a significant investment consisting of new | | | | In my opinion, if you are a small-to-medium sized |
| server hardware, 1 Exchange Server 2003 license, | | | | business and want the groupware features |
| 1 Windows Server 2003 license, 60 Exchange | | | | offered by Microsoft Exchange, it's hard to ignore |
| CAL's, along with anti-virus and anti-spam | | | | a shared Microsoft Exchange Hosting service as a |
| software licenses. With the software license costs | | | | viable alternative to having your own server. I |
| approaching AU$15,000, and a modest server | | | | see the upsides and downsides as follows: |
| adding another $5,000, the new owners were | | | | Upsides: |
| understandably a little nervous to begin talking | | | | - You don't need to run Windows 2003 server to |
| about what my consulting fees might be for | | | | have access to Exchange Server 2003 mailboxes. |
| installation and ongoing support. | | | | - It's far cheaper than buying a server and |
| Having been a happy user of a hosted Exchange | | | | licenses. |
| mailbox service for my own business email for a | | | | - Almost no I.T. administration required (no server |
| little over a year at that time, it seemed prudent | | | | patching, software updating, backups or |
| to recommend to my shell-shocked client that | | | | maintenance). |
| perhaps external exchange mailbox hosting may | | | | - 99.999% uptime guarantee. |
| be a viable alternative. Pricing from U.S. hosted | | | | - The hosting provider takes care of the rack |
| providers is $9.95US per mailbox per month, with | | | | space, servers, security, depreciation and the |
| Australian-based providers charging similar | | | | other physical and financial aspects of managing |
| amounts, but aren't as generous with storage | | | | IT equipment. |
| space on the default plans. | | | | - Enterprise-level AV and Anti-spam available at |
| I stayed with my first hosted exchange provider | | | | very low or nil extra cost. |
| for 9 months, but the minimum hosting fee of | | | | - Outlook 2003 client software licenses included. |
| $49.95US per month (equivalent to 5 mailboxes) | | | | - Very simple administration through a web |
| seemed a bit rich after a while, and it only | | | | browser. Includes being able to add/remove |
| included 100Mb of storage for each mailbox. | | | | mailboxes, change passwords, add additional |
| (They did provide free Sharepoint 2003 however, | | | | domains, add additional email addresses, add |
| but I never used it.) | | | | update global distribution lists. Etc. |
| As a result I switched to another provider which | | | | - Simple to upgrade for access via Blackberry |
| included 200Mb of storage per mailbox (shared | | | | (costs extra) |
| across all accounts), and a minimum of 3 | | | | - Outlook Web Access built in. |
| mailboxes for $32.83US per month. Apart from | | | | Downsides: |
| being better value I like their administrative | | | | - Backups are done several times a week and |
| interface much better than the previous, so I've | | | | retained for only 1 week, and restoring an |
| stuck with them ever since with absolutely no | | | | information store in pst format can cost up to |
| problems. | | | | $450US. (This may not be appropriate for some |
| My current provider also includes AV protection | | | | organisations, but bi-monthly offsite backups are |
| and access to anti-spam software in the overall | | | | available as an additional service.) |
| price, others may change a small amount extra | | | | - Outlook client username/password is not shared |
| per month for these services. (Hint: always sign | | | | with your existing directory service. (Each time |
| up for antivirus and anti-spam services). I've | | | | you start outlook, a password needs to be typed |
| never received a virus email, and my spam emails | | | | in). |
| have been cut down to about 1 every 2 days on | | | | - Works best with the Outlook 2003 client running |
| average. On top of this, Outlook Web Access | | | | in Cached mode, which only installs on Windows |
| (OWA) is available instantly so mail can be | | | | 2000 or XP clients. |
| managed through an IE browser from any | | | | - Phone support is U.S. based, and only partially |
| internet-connected pc, and they throw in a license | | | | available during Australia business hours if you |
| for Outlook 2003 for every mailbox. | | | | have a problem. (Email support is 24x7). |
| The Results - 2 years later | | | | |