Technology and software advancements are making IT services that were previously considered outside the budgets of small and mid-sized businesses actionable. The advent of the cloud has resulted in significant cost reductions, company-wide productivity increases, enhanced collaboration tools and provided decision-makers with the flexibility to migrate to platforms best suited for goal achievement.
The improved IT possibilities have small and mid-sized outfits enjoying growth and many are investing in future profitability by migrating to a Microsoft hosted exchange on Office 365. This trend does not appear to be another flash in the pan. That’s why IT professionals such as Alltek in Polk County, Florida, provide the specialized support businesses require to maintain a competitive advantage in the technology age such as migrating to Microsoft hosted Exchange. These are pros, cons and other items small and mid-sized organizations may want to consider about migrating.
Pros and Cons of Migrating to Microsoft Hosted Exchange On-Premise
The worldwide expansion of the public cloud has resulted in greater opportunities for outfits to secure a higher rate of return on their IT investments. Since Office 365 took the business community by storm in 2011, it has become the go-to solution for small and mid-sized organizations in terms of tools and apps that can be utilized across platforms. But one of the primary questions for business owners and CEOs is whether to keep Microsoft Exchange email in-house or locate in on the cloud. These are key pros when considering on-premise utilization
- Control: Owning the hardware and platforms outright means that you can make decisions about upgrades, configuration and other details unique to your operation. You can have your IT service professionals analyze and implement a plan of action in-house as you wish.
- Flexibility: An in-house resource may also provide significant third-party integration benefits. If you and a key stakeholder are on the same network, interconnectivity, communication, and modifications remain at arm’s length.
- Data: When data is stored on-premise, its integrity and security are squarely in your hands. This gives you the ability to utilize hard drives and backup resources that you can keep out of harm’s way.
Although these pros lead some companies to maintain on-premise Microsoft Exchange options, there are equally strong cons. These include the following.
- Data Loss: On-premise housing requires organizations to take ongoing responsibility for securing data. Breaches and oversight can prove costly.
- Higher Costs: Maintaining the cost of Microsoft Exchange on-premises and the hardware required to operate it will likely result in updated charges. These are not necessarily controllable costs.
- Security: The on-premise data of small and mid-sized operations have become the low-hanging fruit sought by cybercriminals. In-house breaches can have a devastating impact on your profitability and company reputation.
- Infrastructure: High-level accessibility relies on top-level technology infrastructure investment. If you want guaranteed data availability and reliability, that cost proves unnecessarily expensive.
Pros and Cons of Migrating To Microsoft Hosted Exchange Online
Numerous industry experts, analysts, and outlets such as Inc. magazine point to the cloud as a critical driver helping small and mid-sized businesses compete against outfits with more resources. At Alltek, our team understands that your goals are unique to others in the business community. That’s why we prefer to work on a personalized level to understand where you are today and where you plan to be in the future. A comprehensive consultation involves decisions that serve short- and long-term planning. These are important considerations about migrating to Microsoft hosted Exchange Online.
- Appropriate Expenditures: Office 365 offers users the same level of on-premise features as it does online. Online storage can be synced to multiple devices and businesses need only pay for the email accounts their employees and stakeholders require. You also enjoy the ability to increase or decrease users on a monthly basis.
- Cost Reductions: Migrating to Office 365 online allows organizations to install products such as Office Suite on devices and utilize them additionally. Microsoft generally provides more than just email with a subscription and companies can reap cost-efficient benefits.
- Reduce Risk of Data Loss: Microsoft has an extremely high interest in protecting data stored in the cloud. They provide high-level email security protocols to prevent breaches. Beyond cyber theft, online use avoids the risk of damage from power surges, flooding, severe weather, fire, and other disasters.
- Real-Time Updates: Exchange online solutions put all of the latest innovations and communications advancements at your fingertips. Upgrades occur seamlessly without having to plan company downtime.
While Exchange online capabilities offer substantial benefits, there is one negative that tends to create some doubt in business leaders’ minds about migrating to Microsoft Exchange Online.
- Complex Migration Process: One of the primary reasons that many organizations shy away or cancel migration online is that the process appears overly technical and that makes them uncertain about the outcome. Although Microsoft works diligently to provide user-friendly products, moving from a foreign email service to Microsoft can be challenging. There are also multiple sub-categories of online migration as Tech Genix points out in its article “Understanding Office 365 Exchange Online Migration Endpoints.”
That’s why IT service professionals bring the knowledge and critical support required for such transitions. While the end result of migration could provide years of goal-achieving benefits, getting there is often best left to professionals.
Alltek in Polk County, Florida, provides small and mid-sized organizations with a detailed consultation about best practices and why migrating to Microsoft Exchange may prove beneficial. For a candid assessment of your current use of technologies and possible migration benefits, contact Alltek.