Introduction to Exchange Hosting

Exchange hosting revolves around a popular server software application that facilitates the sending and receiving of electronic messages and the sharing of other business critical data via online or wireless devices.  The Exchange software is specifically designed to work with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express and other mail clients typically used in the business setting.  The goal of this technology is to provide companies of all sizes with access to their data while increasing productivity in their respective environments.

The Exchange Server

The Microsoft Exchange Server is the major component of Exchange hosting.  This software is comprised of a mobile email and collaboration suite equipped with email messaging capabilities, calenders, shared folders, contact lists and to do lists.  Unlike traditional POP3 email accounts where messages are deleted from the server upon retrieval, a hosted Exchange service stores messages on a remote third-party server.  This type of service allows users to access shared or private files at any time on any mobile device equipped with a web browser or PC with a compatible mail client.

Supported Devices and Protocols

With Exchange hosting, emails and other business data stored on the server can be accessed through various client devices such as personal computers and PDAs.  Some of the devices commonly used with the service include the Blackberry, Motorola Qpocket, Nokia Smartphone and Treo.  The Exchange server enables the synchronization of inboxes, contacts, calenders and task lists along with mobile browsers that support HTML, compressed HTML and WAP-based devices.  The software runs on Windows Server operating systems and supports various messaging protocols including MAPI, POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP.

The Exchange Advantage

Microsoft Exchange is easily the most widely used messaging solution of its kind.  With a hosted service, small and medium sized businesses can enjoy benefits that were previously only available to bigger companies with more resources.  Exchange hosting is very cost effective as there is no investing in expensive hardware or software.  In addition, outsourcing the service allows for an easy, secure deployment that can be scaled up or down according to your needs.

The seamless integration of messaging services offers numerous advantages to business users that rely on Exchange.  With shared calenders, employees can view the availability of their colleagues to schedule and manage meetings, shared task lists can be created and assigned for sharing with team members, and shared contacts help to ensure the accuracy of information while ensuring that data is secure and not lost or misplaced.  These features and more make Exchange a solution that can truly maximize the efficiency of your business communications.

Before the prevalence of Exchange hosting, mobile functionality was virtually non existent for businesses that lacked the time or resources needs to house and maintain a server.  With hosted services now available, businesses can outsource their messaging needs in exchange for a feature-rich package at a low cost.  The best thing about Exchange hosting is that you get the benefit of a fully equipped data center to house the equipment along with technical support.  This results in a managed enterprise-level collaborative communication system handled in a secure and cost-efficient manner.