GroupMail vs. Exchange

Foreword

Before we go into details as to why GroupMail can outperform Exchange and many other platforms, we should first examine some relevant but crucial issues.When we began providing email services back in 1994 email was a trivial exercise, it seemed more of a fun thing to do and was not regarded as critical to the enterprise. Today, if an email system fails, there is a very real danger of disruption to your business with the associated financial risks. The requirements of email systems, features, reliability have grown to the point that an enterprise mail system with less than 100 users can't realistically run an email service cheaper or more reliably than by using GroupMail. The checklist of fundamental requirements from an email system is increasing daily. The days of establishing an inhouse email infrastructure as a sign of business maturity are numbered.

The costs and the pitfalls involved in running an email system are becoming ever more complex.In particular, running mail servers reliably requires highly specialised and costly staff. Some of the issues you face in running MS Exchange to replicate what we provide with GroupMail

Cost Comparison - running MS Exchange

Purchase:

• MS Server 2003, MS Exchange, Firewall.
• Anti-virus software.
• Server with RAID storage and a sophisticated firewall.
• duplicate hardware to create an N+1 configuration.

Infrastructure costs:

• Provision of 2 connections to two ISPs.
• Running and configuring a dual homed network.
• Electricity for the server which will be around HK1000/year.

Operational costs:

• Software support to implement bug fixes and anti-virus updates.
• Conducting version upgrades
• Dealing with hardware failures
• Patching security holes in MS products
• Trained staff or support contract to administer the system
• Backups: At least six incremental and one site backup a day

Reliability of Exchange

Microsoft has clearly demonstrated the reliability and robustness of their products. After purchase, clearing viruses and potential security exploits greatly diminishes any advertised reliability.

We do not run 'any' Microsoft products. This is one of the reasons we can offer a very reliable service.

Cost Savings

Depending on the installation we estimate GroupMail cost at 1/8th the cost of a comparable MS Exchange system.

You do not have to pay for hardware upgrades or storage.

You don't have to hire an email expert.

GroupMail runs on raid storage.

We operate N+1 hardware. We have identical machines available on standby, if we have a hardware failure.

GroupMail is backed up 6 times per day.

You don't have to pay for bandwdith or data cente fees.

GroupMail servers are connected to 2 ISPs. So if one ISP goes down the service can continue. Also increases the chances of receiving email when there are routing problems.

GroupMail has multiple webmail skins, which We license and pay for.

On GroupMail you have administrator rights for your domain so that you don't have to ask us to do anything for you.

You control it

GroupMail vs. Linux (postfix/qmail/cyrus/ldap etc.)

5 years ago we stopped using sendmail/postfix etc. as they just didn't make sense to run. The software does not come free, however configuration setup and administration does. Require someone with some solid understanding of Unix. Even for our geeks the Management costs were too high.Whilst there are a number of applications that are free and are very robust it does require a number of them in combination to match the features of GroupMail. Again,to install such applications needs Specialist Unix skills.

Some issues you face in running MS Exchange to replicate the features of GroupMail:

Cost Comparison

Purchase:

• Anti-virus software.
• Server with RAID storage, sophisticated firewall.
• duplicate hardware to have an N+1 configuration.

Infrastructure costs:

• Pay for 2 connections to two ISPs.
• Running and configuring dual homed network
• Electricity for the server which will be around HK1000/year.

GroupMail vs your ISP & Webhosting company.

In theory, oustourcing to your ISP/webhosting company would be the direct equivalent of contracting for our GroupMail service. In practice as yet we do not know of anyone that provides a mail service with the same level of sophistication and features that we do.

ISP/webhosting companies can offer cheaper or even free services than those we provide. This however introduces its own problem, in that those companies must look at email as an overhead and not a revenue generator.

Their commitment to providing an outstanding email service is not there. They may also charge, thoughin general ISPs sell you connections and webhosting companies sell webhosting. Both may bundle a low grade email into their offering, but they will not provide you with similarfeatures, administration tools, more exotic protocols like IMAP, as they are resource hungry.

They will provide a bare bones email system and when you need changes they may well prove cumbersome in terms of support procedures, faxed authorisation forms and turnaround delays...For us GroupMail is our bread and butter, not an overhead, that we must manage at minimal cost. ISPs and the like will normally receive masses of spam (for some strange reason) and then passon to you a surcharge you for the excess storage used. This happens frequently, as most usersdecline to use the ISPs mail service for whatever reason and later find unused mail boxes full of spam mail.

Summary

Increased Security and Confidentiality

Our servers are stored at an undisclosed location and a single authorised person has login and physical access.

IT Managers do not have the oportunity to monitor the top management's mail boxes.

We can provide you the same confidentiality as an inhouse server on your network through encrypted communications.