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Top 10 Things to Look for in an Exchange Hosting Provider
Now that you've made the decision to use Exchange hosting, you need to find a provider. Here are the top ten things to look for when choosing an Exchange hosting provider:
1. License and Certification - Ask a potential Exchange hosting provider about their licensure and certification. It is illegal to host an Exchange service for commercial purposes unless the provider has an ASP License Agreement with Microsoft. Make sure your hosting provider is licensed, and that their agreement is in place before you make a purchase.
2. Protection - Make sure an Exchange hosting provider offers protection against virus and hacker attacks. It also helps if the host actively scans attachments and message bodies, deleting any that are infected. This is a vital service because an estimated 98% of all computer viruses are transmitted through email.
3. Equipment ownership - Always ask Exchange hosting providers who owns the servers and related equipment. While this may not seem important, it makes a big difference in the effectiveness of any guarantee. In addition, be sure your provider is not simply a reseller. When a hosting provider leases or sub-leases their equipment, they do not have complete control over the equipment. For the reseller, they are not actually providing the service, but are selling the services offered by someone else. In either case, this limits their ability to offer support and it lessens their liability and accountability. By using a reseller or someone who does not own their equipment, you increase your chances of hearing, "I'm sorry. There's really nothing we can do about it."
4. Guarantee - Be sure to check your Exchange hosting provider's service guarantee. Do they offer a guaranteed uptime? Uptime is calculated by subtracting maintenance time from the total hours per month, then dividing that by the total hours in a month. For example, if there are 30 days, then there are 720 hours. If there were 3 hours of maintenance, then you would have an uptime of 99.58% [(720 - 3)/720]. Most providers will offer at least 99.5%, which is the minimum you should accept from a provider. Don't fall for a 100% uptime guarantee, though. Even if they can provide it, you don't want a provider that never performs maintenance. If possible, choose a provider with an SLA-backed promise of uptime.
5. Support - As with the guarantee, be sure to ask about the Exchange hosting provider's support policy. Not all providers offer 24/7 support, so read the fine print if that's important to you. In addition, find out how support is offered. Is it only by email? Is there a support telephone number? If so, is it toll-free or will it cost you long-distance charges? See if your provider has their own support personnel or if they outsource. See if the support personnel are Microsoft certified, and ask about required training for support staff. There is nothing worse than calling the support line and realizing, as the "tech" reads from a script, that you know more about the problem than they do.
6. Data backup - Ask your hosting provider if Exchange server data is backed up. If so, ask how they perform backups, as well as how often and how long they keep the information. Many providers perform nightly backups of the server data and make copies that are kept for two to three weeks. This ensures that your information doesn't permanently disappear if the server crashes.
7. Control panel - Does the Exchange hosting provider offer a control panel for users and a control panel for administrators? With two control panels, users can make their own basic changes to their Exchange setup. If there is only one control panel, users often have to submit requests to administrators for even simple changes, like changing the display name. This can be tedious and time-consuming for everyone involved if you have very many end-users.
8. Redundancy - An Exchange hosting provider who offers multiple points of redundancy is going to be able to ensure more uptime for clients. Redundancy includes using clustered servers to prevent downtime during server crashes and maintenance, as well backup power supplies for those servers. Many people do not realize, however, that redundancy should also be present for cooling, storage, internet connectivity, and every other key point of the provider's infrastructure. Ask the provider for specific examples of redundancy usage or for specific details of their Exchange environment.
9. Storage space - Exchange hosting providers generally list packages that specify how much storage space is available for each mailbox. Compare what is offered to your needs. Find out if the provider offers additional disk space, should you need it, and in what size blocks the space is sold. If the provider offers megabyte and gigabyte blocks, find out if the gigabyte blocks can be divided for multiple users.
10. Cost - When choosing an Exchange hosting provider, be sure to compare costs. Choose a provider that meets your needs without destroying your budget. Be sure to look for hidden fees, also. Some providers will tack on additional charges, so that low priced hosting ends up being more than you can afford.
Exchange hosting can be a valuable tool for your business, and choosing the right provider is important. If you have used all of these tips and you're still unsure, many providers will offer a free trial period to help you make up your mind.