Outsourcing Your Email

According to Gartner Group, 80% of enterprises with fewer than 300 users could save money by outsourcing email. How do you find the right outsourcing partner? The following are some questions to ask when searching for an email-outsourcing partner:
* Where will the data be physically stored?
* Is there adequate physical security in the building?
* Will client applications have a secure means to log on to the email server?
* Does the hosting service have data centers with redundant network connections, backup power sources, and engineers on site 24/7?
* Are its routers protected by an uninterruptible power supply?
* Does it have redundant network connections in case one fails?
* Is the financial company financially sound? (If the hosting provider is having financial problems, it could fold and take its customers’ data with it.)
* What precautions has the hosting firm made to ensure all data is constantly backed up?
* How steep is the learning curve?
* Will employees have to learn a new way of doing things, or can current client applications and work processes be used?