I’ve previously written about why companies may want an on-premise deployment of Exchange Server.  However, a hosted email service may be more suited for some businesses at times, for reasons relating to cost, the lack of in-house expertise or simply as a matter of preference.  Today, I want to outline six factors that companies may want to consider before deciding on an Exchange service provider.

1. Look for Exchange 2010

Though the bulk of service providers have migrated to Exchange 2010, there are those who still offer the older Exchange 2007.  As such, companies should not assume that signing up for Exchange hosting automatically gives them access to Microsoft’s most recent iteration of Exchange Server.  This is important because Outlook 2010 when used with Exchange 2010 offers a number of compelling capabilities, such as conversation view, MailTips, as well as the ability to flag entire conversations to be ignored.  In the same vein, it would be good to clarify your service provider’s stance on upgrading to new versions of Exchange as they become available.

2. Mobile and BlackBerry support

Practically all email providers today charge a premium to support checking emails via mobile phones or BlackBerry devices.  The former is easily supported by enabling the Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) option, while the latter requires the installation of an additional BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) service.  As such, email providers that support “mobile phones” do not necessarily mean that they will work with BlackBerry smartphones, while some providers do not support both EAS and the BlackBerry for the same user.

3. Outlook CAL included?

Some providers include the CAL (Client Access License) for the latest version of the Microsoft Outlook email client as part of their offering.  The effectively allow businesses to tap into the newest features of Outlook without having to upgrade their current version of Microsoft Office.  This is obviously a boon, as businesses incur no additional cost, though businesses that have already purchased Outlook will find this of limited benefit.

4. Examine the provider’s uptime record

IT managers and email administrators with any experience at all under their belt will be familiar with the adage about how “talk is cheap.”  Indeed, one cannot help but wonder about some of the providers who offer extremely high levels of “guaranteed uptime” for ludicrously low prices.  Some even tout 100% uptime, promising refunds if it falls below the mark.  Note however, that such promises are known in the industry as “marketing uptime.”  With penalty charges pegged at a pro-rated amount of the basic monthly subscription, any payout can hardly be considered punitive – and are typically given in the form of service credits.

Rather than have business deals go awry due to an inopportune downtime, it is highly preferable that the service provider not fail in the first place.  As such, it makes sense to first examine its track record in terms of downtime.  Additional care can also be exercised by talking with the service provider or its current customers to better ascertain the procedures in place to handle unscheduled outages.

5. Look at the support tracking system

Examining the support tracking system of an Exchange provider can yield additional clues to the robustness of the company.  As a general guide, a minimum level of automation in managing support emails signifies a more reliable or established provider.  Conversely, a completely manual response should be deeply worrying, and could well be the result of a very small outfit that has not yet invested in the appropriate customer management systems.  In addition, businesses should also look out for a dashboard that shows the real-time health of the service provider’s network, as well as an alternative way (other than email) of informing key employees about major system outages.

6. Migration Procedures

Eager to gain new accounts, some Exchange providers are dangling free data migration service to entice existing Exchange users to make the leap.  Such offers can result in substantial discounts in some cases, and help simplify the migration process.  Equally important, but often neglected would be the provider’s policy (and charges) when it comes to exporting your Exchange database.  This leaves the door open for migration to another provider in the future, or for switching to an on-premise Exchange deployment.

Feel free to chip in on other factors that businesses should consider prior to signing up with an Exchange service provider.