Microsoft Exchange Server is a popular mail server and electronic calendaring server developed originally by Microsoft. It runs strictly on Windows Server operating platforms. Though it is an extremely popular mail server, it is not as widely used as the other email servers like Outlook. The reason for this is that it can be used for email, task bar, and web-mail applications. However, due to its popularity there are third-party companies offering third-party email services and Microsoft offers its own email service, which is available through their MS Exchange server.
Microsoft Exchange Server offers four different approaches to hosting a mailbox including self-hosting, cloud, dedicated, and data center hosting. The self-hosting approach is popular as this provides flexibility and convenience of using the Microsoft Exchange Server without having to install the software yourself. The advantage of this option is that you only need to know how to install the Microsoft Exchange Server and the Internet connection and you are ready to go. On the other hand, if you want to use the Microsoft Exchange Server as a platform for some other purpose, the cloud based approach is the most appropriate one as the server needs to be backed up by multiple servers hosted by Microsoft while on the other hand the dedicated approach is suitable for businesses who need to store important information on a single server for security reasons.
However, if you need a mail server which is not supported by the third-party providers like Outlook or Hotmail, then the on-premises option is your best choice. Microsoft Exchange Server offers all the features of an Exchange Server with added functionality like permission, role management and permission alarms. In addition to that, the on-premises server has access to Microsoft Exchange Server online backup which is very useful for enterprises that have outgrown their in-house Microsoft Exchange servers.
There are a number of different third-party providers of these services including C Alcina, Sun Microsystems, IBM, and McAfee. They provide a wide range of services for both small and large businesses as well as end-users. There are many advantages associated with these services and the only disadvantage is that they are much more expensive than the ones provided by Microsoft. The major advantage of these services is that they use high-end processors, large hard drives, and they have highly developed server applications.
Microsoft Exchange Server hosting is a great option if you are running a few sites.
The cost of the services is much lower than that of the in-house Exchange server. In addition to this, the third-party vendors also offer a number of features like third party scheduling, database optimization, data center automation, and recovery, and advanced data protection features and so on. The only disadvantage of these third-party vendors is that they have to implement their own server applications and so the reliability of the services is somewhat questionable. However, there are some drawbacks and advantages of these options and you need to carefully analyze them before deciding on the best one for your business.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2021 offers the user the best value for his money.
This is because the organization can save a lot of money that would otherwise be required to pay for purchasing an exchange server with on-premises software, licensing fees, hardware, and so on. It is important to note that the company does not have any control over the third-party vendors such as McAfee, Norton, or Symantec. They simply act as brokers and have no control over the services they provide to the organization. The on-premises Microsoft Exchange Server can be used for the following purposes: To store email messages and contact information. To process the incoming mail and to configure the user’s email address book.
Microsoft Exchange Server can be configured for remote or local deployment. With remote deployment the administrator can install the Exchange server on a laptop or other device that is remote from the company’s network. Then he can establish a new local virtual server or he can replace the existing Exchange server with the new one. Virtualization is also used in such installations where multiple servers are deployed on the same hardware. In this setup, the data and applications are split between different servers so that each physical server is able to serve a specific purpose. For instance, a company may need a server to maintain compliance testing and a second server for mail archiving and retrieval.
- Microsoft Exchange Server can be integrated with Microsoft Office 365 and other online applications.
- This makes it easy to manage the various tasks that are done by employees across the globe.
- The organization can get additional benefits of having their emails in the outlook and have access to all folders and files, whether they are in the on-premise Microsoft Exchange Server or the cloud version.
- The company does not have to buy extra licenses for the on-premised Microsoft Exchange Server. Instead it can get the same service for a lower price using the cloud version.
