Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cloud

    Should Your Corporate Head Be in the E-Mail Cloud?

    By
    Jim Rapoza
    -
    October 29, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      We all have some kind of free hosted e-mail account, whether it’s Gmail, Yahoo mail, the mail from your ISP or all of the above. Many people rely on these mail systems to handle their day-to-day personal communications.

      And businesses recognize this. It’s a common practice at many companies to maintain a list of “external” e-mail addresses for employees so that when, inevitably, the company e-mail system goes down, employees still can stay in touch.

      Click here to read Jim Rapoza’s look at alternatives to Microsoft’s Exchange Server.

      However, many businesses are now starting to wonder if they need that internal e-mail system at all. If hosted e-mail systems are good enough for the entire world, why can’t they be used for business?

      Of course, the 800-pound gorilla in this environment is Google, which has tailored its Gmail and Google Apps offerings for businesses of any size. In fact, a common new feature in many enterprise applications has been Gmail and Google Apps integration.

      But Google isn’t alone in this space.

      Smaller providers, such as Zoho, offer hosted or cloud-based collaboration and e-mail systems geared for businesses, and even the big players have gotten into the game, with Microsoft offering a hosted version of Exchange and IBM just releasing an SAAS (software as a service) version of Lotus Notes.

      The benefits of this kind of offering are obvious. There is no expensive and resource-intensive internal server infrastructure to maintain, and per-user license prices are often (though not always) lower than for full internal clients.

      There are also drawbacks. Integration with internal systems can be difficult or even impossible with many cloud-based collaboration systems. Even when it can be done, it requires opening up internal systems to the Internet, something that may not be desirable, especially with highly sensitive applications and data.

      Can you bet on the cloud? Find out here.

      Also, these systems can go down just as much as internal systems (as anyone who has dealt with the recent Gmail outages can attest to). And when they go down, there’s no internal IT staff to run to the rescue.

      Still, for many businesses, a hosted e-mail option is not only a viable choice, it’s the best choice. Businesses get the benefits of not having to maintain an infrastructure and also-since these services are updated on a regular basis-see new features and capabilities without the need to go through costly software upgrades.

      So, unlike your head, having your e-mail, collaboration and business apps in the cloud may actually be a good thing.

      Jim Rapoza
      Jim Rapoza, Chief Technology Analyst, eWEEK.For nearly fifteen years, Jim Rapoza has evaluated products and technologies in almost every technology category for eWEEK. Mr Rapoza's current technology focus is on all categories of emerging information technology though he continues to focus on core technology areas that include: content management systems, portal applications, Web publishing tools and security. Mr. Rapoza has coordinated several evaluations at enterprise organizations, including USA Today and The Prudential, to measure the capability of products and services under real-world conditions and against real-world criteria. Jim Rapoza's award-winning weekly column, Tech Directions, delves into all areas of technologies and the challenges of managing and deploying technology today.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×