Hosted Exchange 2007 or 2010

[Iain Douglas]

Is there any reason not to choose a Hosted Exchange 2007 provider over a 2010 provider?

All I require is email access for myself, from a couple of PC's, an iPad and an Android phone.

I use Outlook 2010 on the PC's

Cheers,

Iain

 

[jacobc]

If you are using Outlook 2010 - I would go with a 2010 provider. Only reason would be if the 2007 provider was cheaper

 

[Iain Douglas]

If you are using Outlook 2010 - I would go with a 2010 provider. Only reason would be if the 2007 provider was cheaper

The 2007 provider is slightly cheaper.

What would I be losing out on if I chose 2007 over 2010?

 

[jacobc]

http://exchangeserverpro.com/benefits-exchange-server-2010-compared-exchange-2007

Not a massive difference in terms of user experience.

 

[ACJTechnology]

Out of interest what have you bee quoted? Not touting for business, just interested

 

[kevin.doran]

I just moved mine to Rackspace, extremely happy with their service so far.

 

[Paul_Rosser]

I just moved mine to Rackspace, extremely happy with their service so far.

We have been using Rackspace for ages and very happy with the service.

I did some proper hosting (40+ servers) with them a few years ago so know their network and infrastructure are very good.

Always avoid saving a few pounds by going for the cheapest hosting option as I've seen some which offer hosted Exchange at very good prices but it's all run from a single "data centre" which in reality is some leased office space on an industrial estate.

 

[ACJTechnology]

We have been using Rackspace for ages and very happy with the service.

I did some proper hosting (40+ servers) with them a few years ago so know their network and infrastructure are very good.

Always avoid saving a few pounds by going for the cheapest hosting option as I've seen some which offer hosted Exchange at very good prices but it's all run from a single "data centre" which in reality is some leased office space on an industrial estate.

I can't agree with this enough. Cheaper doesn't always mean better. Our prices are comparable to Rackspace. While there are plenty of cheaper options out there, we have found the service is just as important as the cost

 

[Phild1973]

I would go for 2010 over 2007 Ian, I am actually surprised anybody is still offering 2007 as it wont be long before it is an unsupported platform. Since SP2 was released around 12 months ago 2010 is now a much more stable platform and allows many features 2007 didn't including 25gb storage sizes among other benefits. 2013 will be rolled out before long as well.

Don't put your money into something soon to be obsolete its not worth the saving.

I am just a touch biased her and have every right to be, but If you want a really good Exchange host with excellent service as shown in all the reviews you need http://www.cloud4computers.co.uk/products/hosted-exchange/ after all we have more Hosted Exchange users in the UK than Rackspace and are renowned for great service.

Good Luck..

 

[Paul_Rosser]

I am just a touch biased her and have every right to be, but If you want a really good Exchange host with excellent service as shown in all the reviews you need http://www.cloud4computers.co.uk/products/hosted-exchange/ after all we have more Hosted Exchange users in the UK than Rackspace and are renowned for great service.

And more people in the UK own FIAT's than Aston Martin's....doesn't mean they are better quality just cheaper.

 

[Paul_Rosser]

Also you can have an issue with a lot of the smaller/cheaper firms not actually having their own data centres.

They use other companies data centres to host their servers, which is fine until the hosting company run into issues and then you can see a loss in service through no fault of the company you are paying to host exchange for you.

This happened recently with 2e2 and I know a few firms who provide hosted exchange via 2e2's service and it's been a nightmare for them.

http://www.cloudpro.co.uk/cloud-essentials/5264/2e2-administrator-asks-customers-%C2%A34k-datacentre-bailout

Companies like Rackspace have their own data centres so it's just one less link in the chain you have to worry about.

Questions to ask anyone hosting services for you are -

1) Do you have your own data centres ? Or do you host with a 3rd party ?

2) Is my data replicated to another data center automatically ?

3) If the primary data centre suffers a major outage, how long would the service be down for ? (the answer should be none or seconds)

4) What physical security is in place with regards to my data ?

5) What is your Service Level Agreement (SLA) ? (Should be at least 99.7%)

6) Do you monitor the service provided on a 24/7/365 basis ?

7) How often is my data backed up ? and to where ?

 

[Iain Douglas]

Cheers guys,

Reading all the replys has given me enought information to make an informed desicion on who to choose.

Thanks

 

[NetwiseHosting]

Hi Iain,

For what it's worth, I would highly recommend Remote Techs who are a member on here - they offer hosted Exchange which is provided by Microsoft underneath.
All the best,

Matthew

 

[RemoteTechs]

Thanks Netwise

Hi Iain,

I would recommend 2010 because of its tighter integration with Outlook 2010, also OWA (Outlook web access - A web version of Microsoft Outlook that you can access from a web browser) is vastly improved in the Exchange 2010 environment, you have a much improved ability to manage your mail on those occasions that you are not able to access your local Outlook installation.

If you would like to discuss any options or need any further advice please feel free to PM me.