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Making decision to host exchange with Microsoft services

Hello everyone,
Management wants me to research the pros and cons of having exchange hosted with MS. I have never worked in hosted environment so i really do not know the cons. I have heard that there are problems integrating apps that require an in house server. I am just trying to forsee what possible issues we may run into down the line.

Our environment is consists of about 200 users using Active Directory (multi site) and is the typical MS shop with sharepoint, project, office 2007, ISA, SQL ect. My biggest concern is sharepoint.

Any input on this would be great.

Thanks

CompanionCube

Is virtualization an option for you? ESXi or Server 2008 HyperV?

CompanionCube

Not sure if your question is re the hosted facility, a hosted service provider, or if you are going to set it up yourself?

I almost always recommend Exchange on a stand-alone server instance (physical usually, but virtual if no choice). Also, see this thread...
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/exchangesvrdeploy/thread/88d00604-3ac3-4b7d-85a2-b1e225a68afe

CompanionCube

Also, the version of Exchange and Sharepoint is not specified in this question, but here's a similar thread concerning Exchange + Sharepoint:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/22504113/Installing-Sharepoint-2007-and-Exchange-2007-on-the-same-server.html

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itgroove

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Keith Alabaster

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee354208.aspx
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/solutionaccelerators/ee424804.aspx

These are the MS online guides. Too close to Christmas for me to be typing loads today.

jdflory

ASKER

Thanks everyone,

What I am looking for is what will my limitations be if we outsource with MS? When i say outsource or hosted i mean we will basically export all mailboxed to their exchange services on their domain.

Currently we have exchange inhouse so we need to know what the limitations would be. I am just trying to foresee what will not be possible down the road if we move our email environment to their services.

Does anyone have experience with MS hosted services?

Thanks

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Keith Alabaster

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jdflory

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I have read the guide and even spoken with pre sales engineers at MS and they say it can do everything but when i get specific they start back stepping and admit that it does have some limitations. Here are few that i have found so far.

*Setting permission on a mailbox must be done from outlook not their admin console
*No public folder support
*No power shell or scripting support
*Separate domains (you can import users but you still have to set passwords and setup each account) *Domain federation not supported yet (two logins)
*Query based groups not supported
*no SMTP relay
*we have a signature application that creates signatures for OWA which will not work
*no email forwarding (i have not confirmed this but found it on a forum)
*Web parts not supported in sharepoint using exchange
*migration back to inhouse

jdflory

ASKER

Thanks everyone for your input.

We decided on keeping exchange in house for now. I will split the points up

jdflory

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