subject: Are there alternatives to an Exchange Server suitable for small businesses? [print this page] Are there alternatives to an Exchange Server suitable for small businesses?
First lets look at the key benefits of an exchange server:
file sharing
access to email from any configured computer
access to address book or contacts from any office computer
calendar syncrhonized and shared between all employees
Basically it means an employee can use any configured computer to work on his or her files, emails and calendar. The organization will often configure a laptop and enable remote access so the member of staff is also able to work while travelling or from home and still have full access.
The problem with this kind of solution when it comes to a small or mid sized enterprise, is that it requires someone to take care of it and there is a huge cost, in terms of both initial investment and ongoing costs.
So if you manage a company and you want your employees to have access to their files and email from anywhere i.e. in order to work from home or work while travelling, or possibly to "hotdesk" at the office, you'll need an exchange replacement.
There are two alternatives which could provide many of the benefits of Microsoft Exchange without the expenditure.
1. Hosted Exchange server 2.Easy-Email plus file sync software
A Hosted Exchange server is a very good option. You will enjoy all of the benefits but none of the resource and management issues. You simply pay according to the number of users. This allows you to expand quickly so as your company expands you just add on a user.
Easy-Email is a fabulous choice for small organizations.
It's an email synchronization solution set out in the form of a step by step guide that you, or an IT professional you hire, can follow. It synchronizes the user's email and address book on their desktop, laptop, home computer, pda or netbook. As an added advantage it will allow them to manage their mail from any other computer via Gmail.
It is incredibly good value compared to any other exchange alternatives It's just $67 US for the Advanced Guide to Outlook and you can get all of your staff set up for this cost!
The downside compared with exchange is that there is currently no shared calendar so you will need to use a google calendar or equivalent.
And in terms of shared files and folders it's really simple. Set up Dropbox. Dropbox provides a system of shared folders that are all automatically synchronized via the internet but they are also stored on the computer so you don't need to be online to access or modify the files. You can determine which users have access to which folders and the first 2GB of storage is free of charge
