There’s no escaping it. Business owners trying to prosper in 2013 have to be a lot more savvy with their overheads. Intelligent decision-makers will analyze every element of their business to see if there are areas where they could spend their money more efficiently.
In this current economic climate especially, most buyers would jump at the chance to invest in cost-saving solutions that can also increase business productivity. That’s arguably one of the main reasons why so many are keen to get involved with cloud technology such as a hosted email exchange.
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Hosted exchange
A hosted exchange allows businesses to store their email services in the cloud, thus eliminating the need to host it on their own servers. This can potentially reduce their overall spend on server technology, as well as the amount of money devoted to running, maintaining and upgrading these servers.
Considering that most hosted exchanges provide an identical on-screen experience to server-hosted email programs, it’s arguably a no-brainer to shift a business email service to the cloud.
Flexibility
The main advantage of working with a hosted exchange is that users can access their email from any device with an internet connection. As globalization continues to have a bigger effect on the international marketplace, this is becoming more and more crucial.
In 2013, businesses have to operate in an always-on environment. Communications are expected to take place quicker than ever and transactions are completed at all times of the day. Millions of people are reading and responding to email via their smartphones, whether it’s whilst commuting to work, shopping at the supermarket or relaxing on the couch. Businesses that don’t allow their staff to do the same are at risk of falling behind.
A hosted exchange can route emails to a laptop or mobile phone using push technology, potentially increasing the productivity of all employees during ‘dead time’ away from the office. Rather than sit gawping into space as they travel to a meeting, employees can communicate with clients and customers all over the world.
Familiarity
Services like Gmail and Yahoo! Mail has made most of the world familiar with the concept of email hosted in the cloud. Most hosted exchange providers will still allow businesses to use their website domain name as an email suffix though. Customers are able to choose a mailbox and minimum attachment size to suit their needs, with many providers allowing full scalability for those who need to upgrade or downsize. In fact, the only difference that customers may notice is the reduction in the amount of time and money spent on their email.
That is assuming that they invest in a reliable exchange provider. Most businesses will be aware that their business email is something is too significant to let just anyone look after. Fears over security and reliability have prevented some companies taking advantage of cloud-hosted software, but those who partner with a proven exchange provider typically find that the benefits far outweigh the risks.
In fact, many might agree that, in 2013, it is more of a risk not to move business email to a hosted exchange.
About the Author: Cobweb is Europe’s leading provider of Hosted Microsoft Exchange services, supplying secure and uninterrupted access to applications, email and the internet for more than 5,000 business customers. Find us at www.cobweb.com
