Email Services

We would always recommend using MS Exchange for email, either on an in-house server or
via an external hosted service.

Exchange in The Cloud

The cost of hosted Exchange solutions have dropped significantly over the last couple of years
and many companies now see them as a viable option.  Hosted Exchange services can be beneficial for:

• Small businesses who do not have a local server and do not feel that they need one
• Businesses with many sites or many mobile users that need a reliable connection to
  their email at all times
• Companies that wish to outsource some of the complexity of their IT systems

Advantages of Exchange Email

• All emails are stored in a single location and can be backed up easily
• Emails can be accessed from any device (PC, phone, iPad etc) by any authorised user
• Remote access is secured (in-house servers require SSL certificate)
• All data (email, calendars, contacts, tasks) is synchronised between devices
• Email addresses can be added and deleted quickly
• Distribution groups can be setup easily
• Shared calendars and contact lists are available
• Users can setup individual out-of-office messages and email forwarding
• Virus protection is controlled centrally
• Mobile device usage policies can be enforced

In-house Exchange

Some things to bear in mind when choosing an in-house email server

• The server needs to be correctly identified on the Internet using reverse DNS in order
  that other mail servers will trust connections from it. This can usually be setup simply
  through your broadband supplier. Alternatively, you can send outgoing email through
  a smarthost. We would advise against using broadband supplier smarthosts as these
  can often become very busy and can lead to delays in delivery of your email.
  TekMedic provide smarthost services to all support contract customers.
• Operating an email server on an ADSL broadband line can introduce connectivity
  issues. If there are problems with your broadband connection other mail servers have
  nowhere to deliver your email – which can often result in bounced messages. We
  would recommend using a backup SMTP service that will queue your email externally if
  you server goes offline. TekMedic’s mail filtering service will not only queue your
  email, but give you access to a fully functioning email system in the event that your
  server is out of action for an extended period.
• In order to access emails from anywhere, a digital certificate will need to be installed
  on the server