I did hosted Exchange for 8 years and got out of it, just a year ago. Competition is too high, niches are too small, profit margin is too low. With Microsoft's published prices in the USA - I wouldn't think of entering that market again. As you say, I expect even greater provider confluence within the next year.
I didn't recognize that Cobweb/Oliver had a partner program, otherwise I would've mentioned it. Regards, Michael B. Smith, MCITP:SA,EMA/MCSE/Exchange MVP My blog: http://TheEssentialExchange.com/blogs/michael Link with me at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/theessentialexchange -----Original Message----- From: Simon Butler [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 6:12 PM To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues Subject: RE: Guide to Exchange 2007 hosting setup I don't think you will find anyone on this side of the pond recommending BT for anything other than a good laugh. :-) The only thing they do well is phone lines (when you pay the bill to someone else), but I digress. I read somewhere that Microsoft state that unless you are going to host 10,000 mailboxes then don't bother. They recommend one of the larger providers - and there are lots of white label solutions around. UK wise, there is probably only one company I would look at - Cobweb. A fellow Exchange MVP is in their technical team. (UK Exchange MVPs are not that common - only 10 or 11 of them). http://www.cobweb.com/partner_with/partner_options.aspx I have looked at it two or three times and opted not to bother. The headaches are just too much. What Michael also didn't mention was the change in support policy - if you are doing hosted Exchange then you must have a support contract - you cannot phone up and pay the per call fee. That further raises the entry barrier. Someone else mentioned it was very crowded in the hosted market. There will be a shake out soon when MS enter the market over here. Simon. -- Simon Butler MVP: Exchange, MCSE Amset IT Solutions Ltd. e: [EMAIL PROTECTED] w: www.amset.co.uk w: www.amset.info Need cheap certificates for Exchange, compatible with Windows Mobile 5.0? http://CertificatesForExchange.com/ for certificates from just $23.99. Need a domain for your certificate? http://DomainsForExchange.net/ -----Original Message----- From: Michael B. Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 28 October 2008 12:21 To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues Subject: RE: Guide to Exchange 2007 hosting setup HMC comes with lots of guidance. Microsoft.com/serviceproviders is a good place to start. If you aren't going to go into this in a big way, I wouldn't recommend it for you. There are lots of providers out there, the barrier to entry is pretty high, and the licensing is even more confusing than normal. BT has reseller plans for hosted Exchange on that side of the pond. You might want to talk to them. Regards, Michael B. Smith, MCITP:SA,EMA/MCSE/Exchange MVP My blog: http://TheEssentialExchange.com/blogs/michael Link with me at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/theessentialexchange -----Original Message----- From: Oliver Marshall [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 7:41 AM To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues Subject: Guide to Exchange 2007 hosting setup Does anyone know of a book/guide about setting up Exchange 2007 hosting? We've been asked by a few small charities this week whether we do this and we think it may be worth having a look at for them. Olly -- G2 Support Online Backups Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.g2support.com ~ Ninja Email Security with Cloudmark Spam Engine Gets Image Spam ~ ~ http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Ninja ~ ~ Ninja Email Security with Cloudmark Spam Engine Gets Image Spam ~ ~ http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Ninja ~ ~ Ninja Email Security with Cloudmark Spam Engine Gets Image Spam ~ ~ http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Ninja ~ ~ Ninja Email Security with Cloudmark Spam Engine Gets Image Spam ~ ~ http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Ninja ~
