Email.  Can’t live with it and can’t live without it, right?

Right – us too.

Most small and medium businesses use email as a primary method for communicating with customers, colleagues, and suppliers.  But, how productive is your email tool?  If you are relying on a POP3 email connection, you are likely missing out on productivity-boosting features like real-time access from any computer, back-up of critical information, and automatic syncing with your phone.

In our previous lives, we were spoiled with enterprise-level tools and technology and that was an area in which we were not willing to compromise.  We knew there was no way we could do the things we needed to do with a POP3 email connection, so the right decision for us was to make the investment in Microsoft Exchange.  Shortly thereafter the proverbial light bulb went off when we realized how much more productive small businesses could be with this tool so we found a way to bring it to them, in the form of hosted Microsoft Exchange. 

What is Microsoft Exchange?

At a very basic level, Microsoft Exchange is a computer server that stores your email, calendar, address book, and files centrally, so they are available 24x7 and can be securely accessed from any computer.  You still use Outlook as your email interface, but the combination of Outlook and Exchange, lets you:

• Securely access email remotely – via the Web or a mobile device (iPhone, BlackBerry, Google Android device, etc).
• Manage and access your contact information anytime.
• View and manage one calendar that is always synced between your computer and smartphone.  You can securely view and edit your calendar from any computer.
• Relax knowing your data is secure, backed-up, and available with guaranteed 99.9% uptime.

How is Exchange Different Than POP3?

Exchange is a quantum leap from basic POP3 or IMAP4 email and makes you much more productive through consistent, real-time access to your email, calendar and contacts, as well as important files and information, from all of your devices.  Basic POP and IMAP email systems, which are currently used for accessing email, are well-suited to home and personal users, rather than business users, and were never designed to include the broader, richer collaboration and productivity tools that Exchange has made possible.  How much time and frustration will you save by having your calendar and contacts always in sync no matter what device you are using to view them?

Here is just a small list of what Exchange makes possible:

• Secure Outlook connections.
• Access to calendar, contacts, tasks, and email from remote locations.
• Support for synced multiple-computer access.
• Automatic syncing of email, calendar, and contacts between Outlook and your mobile device. 
• Full functionality of group scheduling and meeting requests.
• Shared calendar and contacts with team members.
• Powerful spam filtering.
• Automatic out-of-office notifications.
• Message recall functionality.
• Public folders for sharing documents and information with team members.
• Automatic back-up of your email, tasks, calendar, and contacts.  If your computer crashes or you lose your phone, none of your Outlook data is lost.

Learn more about hosted Microsoft Exchange or send us any questions you may have about whether this could be a good option for your business.