When I was in corporate IT we had an office automation system that ran on our supermini computers and was available to anyone in the company who had a PC or terminal on their desk. The office automation system included electronic mail, calendaring, contacts, tasks and to-do lists, and support for file storage. Superminis and proprietary office automation systems are gone, and today many companies use Microsoft Exchange Server instead. First introduced in the mid-1990s, Microsoft Exchange server has grown to become a large, comprehensive and very powerful focal point for all sorts of collaborative software. Setup can be complex, and costs quite high. As a result, a lot of companies are using Exchange hosting services instead of running their own.

Exchange hosting offers a variety of benefits. As stated above, running a Microsoft Exchange server in-house can be complex and expensive. Leaving the hosting to a specialized IT service company makes sense for many smaller and midsize businesses. In a hosted Exchange solution, installation, license management, operation, maintenance, upgrading and backups are all handled by the host, freeing up time and capital for business development instead of crushing IT costs.

Not familiar with Microsoft Exchange and trying to figure out the potential benefits for your business? First of all, Exchange provides a standardized corporate messaging environment with centralized storage and Outlook-based email and workgroup solutions. Exchange mail hosting usually gets you unlimited mailboxes with unlimited space, unlimited distribution lists an all the folders you want. It also includes, and that is a huge plus, advanced virus protection and spam control. You get secure connections as well as secure Outlook web access.

Among the most useful features of Exchange Server are its very powerful anti-spam and antivirus features. With most of us drowning in spam emails, a smart and well-managed and configured spam filter alone is worth switching to Exchange hosting. Intelligent Message Filtering catches spam and disposes of it before it clutters your mailbox. The same technologies are applied to detect fraudulent links, phishing, and spoofed domains. This alone can be invaluable. On the security and confidentiality side, mail going through Exchange Server is encrypted and provides immunity to spoofing and copying in transit.

There is also the Microsoft ActiveSync wireless device synchronization that supports push. Push technology is vital for mobile business. It's what makes email appear automatically on your mobile device. Push email was popularized by BlackBerry handhelds over a decade ago, and BlackBerry Mobile Service is usually available as an Exchange server hosting option. Also note that push technology is no longer just about email. Today's BlackBerry and other handheld devices also have wireless access to corporate data, phone, web and organizer features.

Companies offering Exchange hosting often also provide Microsoft SharePoint, a browser-based collaboration and document management system. SharePoint can be very useful in an Exchange Server environment and it includes several components. Inquire with your Exchange host as to the availability of SharePoint. They often throw it in for free.