Why Your In-House Email Server Probably Isn’t Worth The Trouble
Most businesses rely on email in at least some capacity. Nowadays, organizations often choose to outsource the management of their email servers, including their hosting, to other organizations, most notably cloud providers for ease of use. Here are some of the benefits that you can gain from switching your in-house email management to a cloud-based email server.
It’s Less Expensive
If we asked you how old your exchange server is, would you be able to fit the number of years on one hand? There is a fair-enough chance that it’s an older piece of hardware, which means that it inevitably costs more to run and maintain. Older technology tends to break down more often, and it can quickly become an asset sink in the long run. Not only is it an expensive approach to email management, but it’s also an outdated practice. Why host your email server in-house when you have so many great cloud providers like Microsoft and Google that can accomplish the same task in a better way?
Control Is a Non-Issue
Having an in-house server comes with more control, but this is something that is constantly changing. Cloud-hosted solutions often come with many customization options. Additionally, you’re protected against the problems that could arise from having a physical server unit. Think about a power outage or a fire, for example. A cloud-based email server can continue running even when the conditions for an in-house server unit aren’t ideal.
A cloud email solution also comes with various protections against online threats, like viruses and malware. Since email is such an important part of any business venture, it must be isolated from other parts of your infrastructure so as not to jeopardize your network.
Less On-Premise Infrastructure
Your employees need constant access to data, including email. While each system is responsible for one particular goal, progress can come undone if even one of these systems fails to function properly. If your email server encounters trouble, it needs to be fixed, as communications could be halted. This could lead to miscommunications and work not being done properly, causing tasks to be repeated and time being wasted. Thanks to the cloud eliminating many of the components found in the traditional in-house infrastructure, you’ll be able to keep it as simple as possible. You won’t miss maintaining multiple hardware solutions on a day-to-day basis.
Does your business need a hand with email server management? To learn more, reach out to Catalyst Technology Group at (317) 705-0333.
Your Cheat Sheet For Server Care
Servers are responsible for the distribution and storage of your business’s data infrastructure, as well as the deployment of important applications and data. However, if your organization is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of these server units, you’ll be tasked with having the knowledge of how to keep them in optimal shape. We’ll discuss some of the ways you can better take care of your server units, as well as the optimal solution: server hosting.
Temperature
Server units produce quite a lot of heat, which can be problematic. If your server units overheat, substantial damage can be caused to them. This can potentially lead to data loss and hardware failure, both of which are expensive to deal with. To compensate for this generation of heat, you’ll want to ensure that your organization’s server units are exposed to some sort of air conditioning. It’s recommended that you store your servers in an environment that falls somewhere between 64.4F and 80.6F with proper air flow.
Energy
Server units also consume a considerable amount of electricity, so be sure to connect them to equipment that protects them from power surges. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) can go a long way toward keeping your servers around for much longer. These devices can keep your servers from being overwhelmed by a power surge, and they can protect your devices from unexpected power downs in the event that its connection to electricity is cut off. Basically, the UPS sends a signal to the device and provides enough power for it to shut down naturally before any damage is done to the device’s components.
Regular Maintenance
You need to take care of your server units so that they will last for as long as possible. They are expensive pieces of hardware that need to be maintained. If you fail to do so, you might wind up prematurely paying for new hardware when you could have gotten more mileage out of your current infrastructure. Keep the machines free of dust, and be sure to keep an ear out for any strange noises, like metal scraping or otherwise. Furthermore, you should have a system set up so that you’ll notice if there is an issue that needs addressing.
Outsourced Server Hosting
Thankfully, all of these are solved by outsourcing your organization’s server hosting to a managed service provider. We’ll host your server so that you don’t have to take care of it. Furthermore, all the costs of operations associated with a physical server unit, like air conditioning and electricity, are lifted from your shoulders in favor of a predictable monthly rate. Since your server infrastructure is virtualized on our infrastructure, you’ll be able to maintain maximum uptime while receiving all of the critical maintenance. We’ll monitor your server for any inconsistencies that need to be addressed.
To learn more about server management and hosting, reach out to us at (317) 705-0333.