Exchange Hosting

5 important questions you must ask each service provider

1. Is the Exchange Hosting provider using a Microsoft approved platform?

Since Exchange is a Microsoft product, and one of their most technically challenging one, it is important to understand what kind of relationship the Hosted Exchange provider has with Microsoft and how technically competent they are. If they are at the level you want and need, it should be like working directly with Microsoft when it comes to expertise of the product.

2. What kind of uptime guarantee can you expect for Dedicated Servers?

When using a shared server option there are a variety of reason Exchange Hosting providers can’t offer a 100% uptime guarantee. These reasons exist with dedicated servers as well but what changes are your expectations of them. A dedicated server option usually means that you will be paying a set amount every month regardless of the number of users you may have. Make sure that you are getting more for going the dedicated route and the best place to start that conversation is with uptime guarantees.

3. How many layers of redundancy are across their infrastructure?

There are no perfect products in the world. The reality is that sometimes in even the most successful Hosted Exchange shops that even they will run across problems. The question of redundancy in the infrastructure becomes very important if you are even remotely concerned about downtime. Obviously, the more redundancy the less likely you are to feel any pains from systems going down.

4. Does the Exchange Hosting provider solely focus on Exchange Hosting and nothing else?

We have found that a single-minded focus on Exchange Hosting is a better solution for the end-user. Exchange Server is a complicated system and often needs a great deal of attention to remain stable. If the company also sells other services, chances are Exchange may not get the attention it needs to continue to be reliable.

5. Is the backup MX Server in a “safe” location?

Basically, you will want to know where your data is being saved. If the data is in a location that is prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes does the company plan for potential catastrophes? And if so, how? Or, does your data reside in a more stable area less prone to these types of events?