Selecting an Email Hosting Solution – the Process Unravelled

Sometimes it’s the most practical solution that gets missed when making a choice between the best way to do something and the cheapest method of achieving it.

Email Hosting is a classic case in point. There are many ways to send and receive email, and if you are looking to do just that on an ad-hoc basis then there is little point in spending vast sums of money on a solution that will give you far more than you actually need. A simple mailbox through a reputable provider should fit the bill nicely. However, this is only likely to be of use for the average home user, and completely impractical for a larger business.

For all SME and enterprise-wide applications the best thing to do first is to analyse your precise needs, the likely usage and the importance of particular mail elements such as address books, storage of messages, diaries, and appointments. If you find that you need all these applications and more, and require access to them continually from wherever you may be in the world, then it’s time to review the more professional email hosting options.

Email is a business critical application for most modern companies, so the thought of it being ‘down’ or ‘unavailable’ is often too distressing to think about. This is why many companies invest in reasonably expensive dedicated mail servers, and the accompanying email software such as the popular Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino or Novell Group Wise.  Having acquired the hardware, the software and the air-conditioned, secure area in which to install and operate it,  there is also the need for the additional ‘humanware’ to set it up, maintain it and operate it, and if mail is a critical part of business then the live support has to be 24-hours a day. This means adding permanent members of staff or employing costly support agencies to ensure continuity of service.

An in-house email hosting solution may at the outset seem the most practical. Outwardly it would appear to be the least expensive and potentially the most efficient solution. And this may well be the case for the first year or even two. Then suddenly things begin to rear their heads; Software updates, server patches, anti-virus software, disk space, maintenance staff, backup and even hardware replacement. The cheap, efficient solution suddenly seems to be a bit of a headache and more like a millstone around your neck, than the cost-effective communications solution it purported to be.  The benefits that were so apparent at the outset have started to evaporate and the need to think about replacing the server draws closer, buying software updates, adding in applications for Blackberry and I-phone and whatever new device that has become the latest must- have. All these become part of a chapter of problems that need close, personal attention, diverting you from the real tasks of running a business. In house email can suddenly become a horror story starring you in the leading role.

So what’s the alternative? The short answer is an email hosting service provider. So, you ask, how will this be more reliable than a dedicated server? It’s quite simple to answer. Take the system offered by one of the worlds leading providers – Rackspace Hosting. Their email hosting package is based on banks of dedicated servers operating in climate-controlled, highly secure data centres, which are manned by level three professional support staff providing 24-hour support 365 days of the year. As a customer all you need to worry about is the initial set up of your mail accounts and the size of the individual mailboxes. Thereafter everything involved in maintenance, including software updates, server patching, anti-virus, prevention of DOS attacks, and backup of all your mail and attachments becomes part of the package. The real joy is that all the hardware and maintenance responsibility is wholly down to the mail service provider.

And the benefit for you is that you now have one of the world’s most secure email hosting solutions, which can be accessed from wherever you happen to be in the world with full mobile compatibility, and no fear of losing data, contacts or messages. You also have a rather nice air conditioned space that used to house your old mail server, along with some extra time to concentrate on winning that new business that just arrived as an urgent email enquiry.

The moral of the story is that you really need to look very carefully at all the options before you finally decide on which mail system is best for your company.

A quotation by John Ruskin sums it up: It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.

If you don’t believe all you read here then do have a chat with guys at Rackspace about email hosting. They are very friendly, highly informative and will present you with the full facts, as well as provide you with everything you need to know about outsourcing your mail before you make a final decision. They’ll even tell you if it’s not right for you.