On-Premises Exchange to Office 365: Is it worth the move?

If you’re currently looking into your business email strategy and considering whether to stay with Microsoft Exchange Server or move to Office 365 (or another cloud email solution), you’re probably not alone.

Since Office 365 was officially launched in June 2011, Microsoft has set a new tone for IT services for SMBs. Small businesses can now benefit in many ways from the functionalities included in one single offer. From Exchange emails to collaboration tools and Office Apps accessible from multiple devices, Microsoft Office 365 is taking over as the go-to solution for SMBs.

When considering Office 365, organizations that manage their Microsoft Exchange email system in-house are faced with an important question: should we move our email to Office 365 or keep our Exchange servers in-house?

Disadvantages of running Microsoft Exchange on-premises

1. You can lose your data – Since your data is stored in your own hardware, if a disaster occurs and you don’t have a proper Disaster Recovery Plan, you might lose your email and servers.
2. Hardware and licence costs are high – Your initial investment is not the only cost to run Microsoft Exchange on-premises. Maintaining both the hardware and the application requires resources, and an appropriate budget. Your hardware needs to be refreshed or replaced every few years.
3. Security remains a major concern – You must be proactive to configure your network, systems, and Exchange platform against possible threats.
4. Availability – The reliability and uptime of your in-house Exchange solution absolutely depends on how much you are willing to invest in the platform.

Advantages of Exchange Online (Office 365)

1. Get the scalability you need – Office 365 offers include email, calendars, and contact management. You get exactly the same basic features you have on your on-premises Exchange platform with a guaranteed service level. Each user gets 50GB of online email storage that can be synced on PCs and mobile devices. You only purchase email accounts for the number of users you have.
2. Cut out costs – Price flexibility is one of the biggest values of Office 365, because you get more than just the email service with your subscription.
3. Reduce risk of losing your email data – As a cloud provider, Microsoft invests a lot in security so you can have peace on mind for your IT services. You can enable multifactor authentication for your accounts to harden the access to your email.
4. Always up to date – With Exchange Online, you always have the latest solution for your email. You get access to all the enhancements and innovations for servers and clients as soon as they are released.

Want to learn more about how Office 365 can help your business improve productivity and collaboration? Contact us now.