How is Managed Exchange premium email different to basic POP email accounts?

Managed Exchange is Hostirian's premium email service which can be used in place of POP mailboxes. It is a business-grade service that provides anti-virus, anti-spam, back-ups and flexible access options, including support for mobile devices. Some of the key differences between POP3 email and Managed Exchange are as follows:
Virus and Spam Management: Managed Exchange incorporates comprehensive virus management which scans each email four times against the latest virus databases whether it is in the Inbox, in Sent Items or filed in a storage folder. Managed Exchange also includes spam filtering capabilities.
Email Backup: The risk of losing your email records (eg. through PC or laptop corruption) is greater with a POP3 mailbox because emails get downloaded over the internet from a service provider's mail server to your PC or laptop - and copies generally do not remain on the server. Managed Exchange on the other hand stores your email, as well as your valuable contact lists and calendar schedules, on the secure Exchange servers at Hostirian. This means that if you are a Managed Exchange user and your PC or laptop is corrupted, your valuable information should be effectively backed up at Hostirian and can be immediately accessed through any computer with an internet connection and web browser.
Easier and Better Access: Trying to access POP3 mailboxes from multiple locations to send and receive email can be a complex task, which is generally more time-consuming than most busy working people can afford. Managed Exchange eliminates this difficulty in two ways:

1. Multiple access points - including your work PC or laptop, your home PC or any PC or laptop with an internet connection; and
2. Synchronization - however you access your mailbox, the information is continually updated back at the Hostirian exchange server. This means that people can work while out of the office and easily access their email, contacts and calendars by simply going to a web site and entering their mailbox username and password. Users can also be assured that any changes made through the Managed Exchange Web Access interface (eg. emails sent, contacts added or updated and calendar items moved around) will appear when they next use their mailbox through their PC or laptop in the office.

How can Managed Exchange help my business?

Managed Exchange can help your business in three key ways: 1. It converts Microsoft Outlook from an email communication device into a critical work tool that staff use to:  Better access to critical and frequently used information (eg. client and supplier contact details);  Coordinate their daily schedules through personal calendar tools;  Work with other staff to arrange and prepare for meetings using the 'Meeting Planner' function; and  Book or reserve popular shared company resources (eg. meeting rooms, data projectors, cars etc) and 2. Staff can access their email and Outlook work tools (mentioned above) through a number of web-enabled devices such as: Desktop PCs, laptops, PDAs with GPRS, WAP mobile phones with GPRS, BlackBerry mobile devices with GPRS, and internet kiosks. Data (eg. email inbox, sent items, calendar items, contact records, etc.) is constantly synchronized and updated, so no matter how staff access their work tools, they always have the most up-to-date information when online. 3. It helps staff be more organized and get more out of their day. By using Public Folders (ie. 'shared' calendars, contact lists and email stores of information), staff can better plan and access vital work information. Outlook work tools allow staff to:  Set tasks - an electronic 'to do' list;  'Flag' emails for follow-up attention;  Review colleagues' availability for meetings;  Send, receive, accept and/or decline meeting invitations; and

Access shared contact lists of important groups such as clients and suppliers to ensure everyone has up-to date details.

Do my domain name and web site need to be hosted at Hostirian for me to use Managed Exchange?

No, neither your domain name or web site need to be located on Hostirian's domain name and web servers, but your mailboxes must be hosted with Hostirian in order to utilize our Managed Exchange service. You can arrange to have your mailboxes hosted at Hostirian by pointing all of the 'MX' (mail) records from wherever the domain name is hosted to the mailboxes that reside at Hostirian.

Can some staff have Managed Exchange and others just have normal POP3 mailboxes (ie. the mailboxes that I already receive as part of my plan with Hostirian)?

Yes, you can choose any combination of Managed Exchange Web Access, Managed Exchange PC & Web Access, or POP3 email for your business' mailboxes.

Apart from the familiarity of using the same software, the biggest advantage of Managed Exchange PC & Web Access is the ability to work offline (ie. when you are not connected to the internet), because the Outlook software stores a local copy of the email, calendar, contacts etc updated to the point before you disconnected from the internet. This means that you could, for example, work on documents that are attached to emails in your inbox on your laptop while you are in transit. Another benefit of this is that, any changes you make (ie. drafting emails, updating or adding contacts and making new appointments in your calendar) whilst offline, will be automatically synchronized from the Managed Exchange servers when the laptop is re-connected to the internet and you use Microsoft Outlook again.

Can I give some staff the Web Access and some the full 'PC & Web Access' version of Managed Exchange?

Yes, you can mix and match your Managed Exchange mailboxes, and there are no minimum quantities of either type of mailbox that have to be purchased.

How do I install Managed Exchange?

Signing up and installing Managed Exchange is a straightforward process. There are three main options:
1. Do-it-yourself - detailed, easy to follow instructions are available.
2. Call Hostirian's Technical Support Team and we can walk you through the process; or
3. Ask your IT services provider to provision and configure Managed Exchange for you.

Any further support you may require in relation to your Managed Exchange service is also available from the Hostirian Technical Support Team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Does Managed Exchange need to be installed after hours?

Installation does not necessarily need to be done after-hours. However, some configuration is required for each computer and mailbox if Managed Exchange PC & Web Access is being activated. This is best undertaken when your staff do not need access to their mailbox, which may indeed be outside of office hours.

Do you provide Technical Support for free?

Yes, technical support is available free of charge to all Hostirian customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.  Data Recovery from Back-Up Tape is an additional service that falls outside our free technical support. Please contact your selas rep for more information on the charges associated with this service.