Switch Email Platforms
When saying goodbye to an old friend becomes necessary.
- Small enterprises on Exchange 2003 are seeking alternatives to upgrading to the complex multi-server Exchange architecture introduced in 2007.
- Many organizations are abandoning their original Novell GroupWise and Lotus Notes email platforms and are faced with email migration for the first time in their history.
- Numerous cloud-based email options are available, providing organizations with new and sometimes confusing email choices.
- Organizations of all sizes are experiencing growth in the cost of supporting their legacy email platforms.
- Older email platforms are incapable of satisfying modern integration requirements, such as integrating with CRM, ERP, content management and workflow, archiving and compliance systems, information security systems, and smartphones.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Email is a mission critical system. Switching platforms can disrupt an organization as much as an ERP or CRM platform migration.
- While Microsoft Exchange dominates with 79% market share, more small enterprises are switching away from Exchange than are switching to it, due to a perception of higher TCO and the complexity of migrating to Exchange 2007/2010.
- Cloud-based enterprise email solutions are mature. However, organizations need to extend on-demand versus on-premise TCO comparisons to 5-6 years, the average lifetime an email platform remains in service. Typical 3-4 year TCO comparisons are not sufficient.
Impact and Result
- Understand the business reasons for switching email platforms: to reduce costs, support modern business collaboration demands, and satisfy compliance and security needs.
- Review new email application delivery and licensing options to choose the right solution for your organization’s individual email scenario.
- Create a migration plan to ensure the smoothest transition for one of the most painful technology migrations an organization can undergo.
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Contributors
- University of Melbourne
- Williams Engineering Group
- Skagit County Public Utility
- Collège Boreal
- rtraction
- 6 other organizations contributed information to assist with the development of this solution set. Due to the sensitivity of the information, these contributors requested confidentiality.