Many outfits we visit are on Exchange 2007, but most are on Exchange 2003. The migrations, though they take some time, are great as virtually no downtime results. It’s truly a super process, with a few small caveats.

New Server. The first one is realizing that you need to have a separate server, preferably a new one to fully leverage the labor component of the install. Connectors are made between Exchange 2003 (or Exchange 2007) and Exchange 2010. For small to medium businesses (up to 150 users), a server will run you $7k-$10k, depending on RAM, drive types, and be sure to buy the 5-year warranty up front as it’s far less doing it this way. Roundbrix prefers HP servers, due to their lower total cost of ownership.

Server 2008 R2 Operating system.The operating system is a 64-bit only Server 2008 R2. If this is your first 2008 server, you have the pleasure of having to relicense your entire site. This means you repurchase the CALs (number of users/devices), unles you have a support agreement with Microsoft.

Migration to Exchange 2010. Herein lies our expertise. The name of the game here is little to no downtime. There are also some considerations for remote users, remote mobile devices. We’re hands-on, on-site, making it work. We handle multiple domains, public folders, and mail retention policies so you not only keep just what you need, but it keeps growth in check as much as possible. Remember, keeping e-mails longer than you need to creates a liability.

Decommissioning Old Server. The job is not done until we decommission the old Exchange server, and if need be, dispose of it – properly and legally. Before we do that, we see if there are any parts that can be used for other aging servers to save you money and heartache down the road. If not, we destroy the drives so that the data on the decommissioned server is not recoverable by would-be data thieves. After all, protecting your data is key.

Outlook 2010. With its new ribbon menu, it’s just better and integrates nicely with Exchange 2010. Finally, you can have more than one Exchange account in Outlook, truly a significant breakthrough! There are better built-in filters so you can find that one e-mail faster than ever and multi-mail box searches for those HR issues as well. There is also a better e-mail threading, and all the social networking connectors. A good idea is to install this on Windows 7 64-bit PCs for the best performance!

For a free estimate, please give us a call. We’re ready to roll!