By Korey Stillman, Involta Modern Workplace Director
Microsoft Exchange Server on-premises (Exchange on-prem) has been a reliable on-premises solution for organizations since 1996. It’s been the people’s choice for email, as it offers full administrative control, speed and the ability to customize for various business needs. However, clients have started to see the writing on the wall: Microsoft 365’s Exchange Online is the new go-to solution because it minimizes business risk and has fewer limitations.
If you’re evaluating whether or not to stick with Exchange on-prem, we urge you to consider the following costs:
- Hardware: You’re paying for the server(s) you need to run Exchange on-prem PLUS the disk arrays needed for storage, heating and cooling costs to maintain those servers and arrays, power requirements and expenses, and, of course, the expense of failover or backups.
- Licensing: You’re paying monthly or annually for licensing.
- Installation and configuration: Your IT team has to keep Exchange running optimally, which requires time and training. Does it make sense to rely on in-house knowledge, or would you rather trust experts and allow your team to focus on revenue-generating solutions?
- Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance for hardware, software and operating systems requires staff time and operational expenses, not to mention the added patch cycles, security releases, latest versions, etc.
So why choose Exchange Online?
The costs to maintain an on-prem solution can add up quickly, so many organizations are migrating to Microsoft 365 as tapping into Exchange Online offers many benefits that make working easier. It also provides predictable pricing, allowing organizations to plan and forecast more accurately. While the new NCE pricing from Microsoft may not be as easy to fluctuate without paying a premium, it still offers the flexibility to adjust your licensing as needed so you can stay in control of costs.
Microsoft 365 also makes it possible to move some IT expenses to an OpEx model, which saves on capital expenditures—minimizing the upfront costs associated with replacing server expenses and licensing. It also grants the ability to scale on demand should your organization need to adjust on the fly—and it can be done easily when you consume Microsoft through a partner like Involta.
When you choose Microsoft 365, you no longer have to worry about upgrading or maintaining your on-premise server because maintenance and patching will be handled automatically. Your IT staff will be able to focus on other critical factors and projects rather than planning for Exchange server upgrades, maintenance and security.
Another appealing benefit of switching to Microsoft 365 is the added ability and convenience of single sign-on (SSO). This allows single-password access to standard Microsoft apps like OneDrive, SharePoint and the Office suite of applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.). Additionally, Microsoft’s SSO capabilities also open the ability to incorporate 3rd party applications using SSO or Enterprise Applications.
The top reason we recommend Microsoft 365 is security. With many built-in security features, Microsoft 365 allows organizations to consolidate tools and reduce expenses by using a trusted name in the industry. Exchange Online has a 99.9% uptime guarantee and, when combined with the countless security features enabled by default and additional features you can add, provides an enterprise-grade solution that far surpasses an on-premises solution.
Switch to Microsoft 365 with Involta’s help
Microsoft 365 is suitable for any size organization in any field of business, and migrating from on-premise to the cloud can be accomplished seamlessly. Involta has built a professional service that offers a full turn-key solution that takes the worry and planning out of our clients’ hands and includes comprehensive training materials to help our clients transition to the cloud efficiently. We also help our clients continue their cloud migration journeys with additional services and product offerings designed to transform their worlds through technology. If you’re ready to make the switch, reach out to our team today.
