Microsoft Exchange Reviews

It is a basic email solution. There are two email options, including Exchange, which can be built internally, and Office 365 for cloud-based Microsoft email. The choice depends on the organization. I've worked with both Exchange and Office 365. 

The internal email system allows setting up the servers and domain controllers are employed. It facilitates internal communication for the employees. For external email services, other services are needed to be implemented within the same solution. It involves sending external emails by activating another service.

There aren’t any unique features and it's a standard email setup. 

I have been using Microsoft Exchange for around five to six years.

Office 365's stability depends on consistent internet connectivity. Evaluating this solution includes considering internet stability. A dependable internet connection is essential for secure internal and external communication.

In contrast, Exchange is vulnerable to internet disruptions, affecting external email operations. However, internal communication stability within Exchange is ensured by the stability of the internal network which is guaranteed by default.

Regarding the decision of increasing the number of users, it depends on the organization's choice, whether to opt for CapEx or OpEx. Both options involve expenses over the years. Building an in-house Exchange solution requires investing in hardware, storage, connectivity, and administrative resources. Office 365 shifts the budget solely to OpEx as a subscription service.

Scalability is another factor. Starting a new company favors Office 365 due to cost efficiency. As the organization grows, the choice depends on available resources and technical expertise. An internal Exchange setup is feasible with skilled engineers, while Office 365 suits those lacking in-house resources.

The technical support varies based on the organization's level and classification, whether it's a small, medium, or high business. Usually, large enterprises have contractual agreements with Microsoft and they respond within an hour and resolve the issue within twenty-four hours. It also depends on the organization's business classification with Microsoft.

You can choose either on-premises Exchange installation or Office 365 Cloud. This decision majorly affects the budget allocation in terms of CapEx or OpEx and ownership. Exchange has the facility of owing the corporate licenses and yearly costs are adjustable based on usage. On the other hand, Office 365 has a subscription model, which needs timely payments to utilize licenses. This is a major difference between both models.

The usage of both Exchange and Office 365 Cloud depends on the basis of the organization, each option has its own advantages and disadvantages. In terms of pros and cons, ownership of the Exchange model provides control and independent financial planning. Conversely, with subscriptions, decisions are made regarding expenses and usage. This is very similar to the postpaid and prepaid versions of mobile phones.

Exchange relies on an internet network. In this case, internal communication within the organization functions seamlessly. Employees from the same organization using the same domain remain connected to Exchange and can send and receive emails effortlessly. In the case of downtime or failed internet connection, external emails can't be sent, and incoming external emails can't be received. In the case of Office 365, internet failure affects both internal and external communication. Even within the same organization and office, both internal and external emails cannot be sent or received if the internet connection is disrupted. Even employees from the same office cannot send each other emails.

The initial setup is straightforward and there are no complaints. Exchange took time to be deployed. It requires extensive configuration and setting up servers and managing internal network access. It also includes opening internal network access and server configurations.

On the other hand, Microsoft 365 involves selecting a few options on the portal itself. It is comparatively straightforward and easier to set up.

Office 365 is deployed on the cloud and Exchange is deployed on-premises.

You will need an experienced and skilled engineer for the implementation, which is typically managed by a single engineer. The process takes around five days to finalize, involving coordination between Exchange's system engineer, Microsoft, a network engineer, and security personnel. It involves opening specific ports to ensure secure internal and external connectivity.

Office 365 is mostly free to use. You can also have a pay-later service. The choice depends on the type of license. Exchange functions as a single entity, with higher email capacity. Office 365's licenses differ across categories, each offering varying storage. For instance, a subscription for five employees using Office 365 costs $200 monthly, while setting up an Exchange solution for the same number would demand additional expenses, such as hardware, licenses, and technical support. 

If you're starting a new organization and entering a new industry, Office 365 is the right choice. It offers the same features as Exchange without any extensive technical expertise or manpower. This saves the cost by not investing in hardware or resources. Therefore, Office 365 is recommended for startups. However, as the organization grows to thousands of employees and reevaluation is necessary, factoring in costs and making a TCO comparison between Office 365 and Exchange solution, you can make the decision.

I would rate the product Microsoft Exchange a seven out of ten.

Our company uses the solution as our server. We have 20 to 30 users who collaborate across the solution. We prefer the solution on our web servers for committee users. 

The email management system is very easy to set up, configure, and use. 

The integration and features are very good. 

Creating an email for one user on a different domain takes time. 

The setup is difficult so could be easier. 

Our version of the solution is legacy so is no longer supported. 

I have been using the solution for fifteen years. 

The solution is very stable but you need to keep updating it. 

The solution's old version is discontinued with no support. 

The setup is difficult because it requires specialists to create domains and activities. 

We implemented the solution in-house. It was difficult and might have taken a day or more. 

The solution is expensive to maintain because it requires frequent updates and ongoing server maintenance. 

The 365 email only costs around $8 per month, per user. 

For all 365 applications, the cost is $12 per month, per user. For comparison, Google Workplace costs $8 per month, per user for all applications. 

We are looking to other providers like Google Workspace because the solution is legacy and no longer supported. It is also very expensive to maintain. 

We are deciding if we should upgrade our server and version or move to a different server and product.  

The solution is a very, very stable product so I recommend its use if your budget can handle it. 

I rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

My deployment model for Microsoft Exchange in this moment is for a company that uses Exchange Server on-premise solution to support its infrastructure services.

Although we keep all user data in the cloud, we have some kind of hybrid solution. It's Exchange service; our installation of Microsoft Exchange service is on-premise to cloud solution from Microsoft. In this moment, we are using some hybrid solution, although that on-premise solution is mostly for supporting our company infrastructure.

The best features of Microsoft Exchange, which I have answered many times in my trainings, is that it was a very compact, still extensible environment for user communication. There was a very short moment when it included messaging and instant messaging services, similar to messenger. It was not the best, but what was the best point is that it was complex, but simple to use with a clean interface for users. This could be a very short expression of the feeling.

Areas of Microsoft Exchange that have room for improvement could use some deeper thinking. I believe there could be better communication between Exchange Online and that cloud-oriented service and this Exchange server; some more precise communication to accept it as a single point of communication.

Another point would be that I would appreciate as a lazy administrator if there were better performance and monitoring available directly to the users and to the server. I can do that, but I need to at least have some knowledge and improve the scripts and so on. I would appreciate better performance, monitoring, and availability monitoring of Microsoft Exchange available to admin.

I have more than 25 years of experience with Microsoft Exchange, as I have been working from the beginning of Exchange Server.

I would rate technical support from Microsoft Exchange as great because we also had some issues while upgrading the system and maintaining it. The response is not immediate, but we are not paying so much money. As a general customer, I was very satisfied. They were fast enough and very skilled to support our needs.

Positive

My initial setup of Microsoft Exchange was very easy, and I am still doing it frequently; it's very easy to set up the environment.

I'm not a reseller and I have a loose connection to Microsoft solutions. I was not only a user, it means I was administrator of the system, administering it, so I was not a real user; my users were clients of the server. I was indirectly, loosely connected to Microsoft because I was also Microsoft certified professional. I was evaluated as having knowledge and I was also teaching it, so I had better connection to the server information.

The protocols I most utilize with Microsoft Exchange for integration are historically linked because now there are not very many ways to use Exchange since it became a messaging service. Today's world internet is communicating through SMTP, so SMTP is most important. We can say that is the only one, but there are still some extensions for reaching this Exchange server. In this moment in a Microsoft environment, there are different protocols that are good such as EWS.

It's something more advanced or some improvement of HTTP, because HTTP communication is used to communicate to web pages. You can access Exchange mailbox in the same way, but it's not called HTTP; it's a little bit enhanced protocol called Exchange Web Services, EWS. There are still ways to connect to your mailboxes.

Data loss prevention in Microsoft Exchange is critical for me. We use only part of these services because in the past, Exchange Server served and maintained user mailboxes. Now, I'm hired for an organization that moved all user mailboxes to cloud. We are still using Microsoft environment, and it's still Exchange server, but it's not directly accessed; it's called Exchange Online.

Regarding security, we now only use security infrastructure of Microsoft Exchange. That's very important. We have protected communication to Exchange server, using HTTPS connections to communicate to Exchange server and SMTP. Although SMTP protocol was built to communicate between mail servers, and the first internet was based as a free communication without any protection, now we are more concerned about security. That's why we also use the security part of SMTP, TLS, and so on. We use it, and we evaluate it as good at least.

Regarding the price of Microsoft Exchange, I don't really know, because now I'm completely disconnected from this due to working for a big company. In the past, I remember Microsoft Exchange was not the cheapest solution, but as it was very complex, covering many features needed for common users, it was an acceptable price. The ratio of power and price was very good.

I rate Microsoft Exchange a nine out of ten.

I use Microsoft Exchange more for organizing tasks than as an email client. We have integrated Exchange with Teams for organization and communication.

The most used feature of Microsoft Exchange is the email capability, especially since it integrates with the calendar. We integrate Exchange with Teams, and the single sign-on feature is very helpful. I use Exchange to organize tasks with implemented rules, and its integration with Teams enhances our organizational abilities.

The filtering of spam needs significant improvement, as many spam emails are not getting detected. Exchange should provide higher security and better spam filtering.

I have been using Microsoft Exchange for more than ten years.

The solution has faced performance issues, especially lagging, in recent updates.

Scalability is not a major issue, as it's easy to scale up and provide Exchange access to new users.

I do not need to contact Microsoft directly as the IT department handles any support interactions for us.

Positive

The initial setup of Microsoft Exchange is straightforward. It requires simply having a user and password to initiate, and a lot of the process is automated.

Microsoft Exchange saves time by allowing users to send emails or set schedules instead of making calls or holding meetings.

I can recommend using Microsoft Exchange as it is a functional product, but users should be aware of cybersecurity issues and potential spam. It is important for users to be cautious when opening or forwarding emails. My total rating for Microsoft Exchange is eight out of ten.

The solution's most valuable feature is Outlook, as its users are comfortable using it.

There will be no next release of the tool because Microsoft already announced that Exchange will reach the end of the support phase after October 2025. The only option people will have is Microsoft Office 365 or Exchange Online. Microsoft Exchange will not be updated in the future. The last release of the tool was in 2019, and it had extended support. After October 2025, no matter what, Microsoft will not provide support or updates for the tool.

The tool is not easy to use. Every person has to have at least administration-level experience to use the tool. From an improvement perspective, the tool can be made easier to use.

I have been using Microsoft Exchange since 2003, so it has almost been twenty years. My company is a Microsoft partner and reseller.

The product is stable, but since Microsoft 10 will stop working after 2025, the majority of users are trying to move on to cloud services, like Office 365, which I think is easier for users to access. As it is a cloud tool, you have to click on the mailbox users and reset the password.

It is a very scalable solution. There are thousands of mailboxes being used by the customers, and all are happy with the tool.

It is a very easy product to use. I received support during the deployment phase. The tool is very easy, and we can find any resolutions we want on Microsoft's forums, so there has been no need to get support from Microsoft.

I don't have the technical skills of other tools. The majority of customers are using MDaemon and IBM Lotus Notes. Few customers migrated to Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Exchange.

My company helped our customers implement the tool, as we deployed the product as part of our after-sales services.

The solution is easy to deploy.

The solution deployment time depends upon the customer's environment, and it may sometimes take two or three days to a few months. If it's a fresh deployment, it hardly takes three to four days. If there is a migration or operation process involved, it will take four months to complete the migration process.

For migration, I have a team of five people for the post-development phase. I am also a Microsoft-certified trainer, who has been using Microsoft for thirty-five years.

The tool's setup phase was managed by the local partner or the one who supplies the tool.

I have not calculated the tool's return on investment for my customers because we don't teach the customers about Microsoft Exchange since they already know what Exchange is, and they don't ask for products from its competitors in Pakistan, so I am not talking about the whole world. In Pakistan, Microsoft Exchange is a well-known product among customers, and so they don't ask for an alternative. Customers just say that they want Microsoft Exchange because a majority of the banks, financial sectors, and multinationals use microservices.

Instead of using Microsoft Exchange, I recommend Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Exchange to others.

I recommend the tool to all companies, especially financial sectors and multinational companies.

In terms of the tool's security measures, the majority of things are covered already in a timely manner. Microsoft is using the security patches which offer the capability of securing Microsoft Exchange's environment.

I don't think Microsoft Exchange has AI.

I have not used the tool for any AI projects.

When dealing with most third-party products, customers have the tools they want in place. Customers mostly want to relay the emails on some services and not deal with the integration part. I have not integrated the tool with any third-party solutions.

My company has other solutions, and as far as the technical expertise is concerned, we can sell other tools. In the local market, we can find many technical people for Microsoft Exchange compared to other products. Our customer recommends we provide them with Microsoft Exchange so that they aren't stuck as far as the technical part is concerned. It is easier for Microsoft to find technical people than for other solutions.

I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

We use the solution for email, calendar, and integration into Zoom.

The product works very well. Being able to access email outside the organization is a very good feature. It is very easy to set up.

The default storage capacity is too small. Though the mailbox size is one terabyte on the cloud, the default mailbox size can be increased for on-premise products.

I have been using the solution for ten years.

The tool is very stable. I rate the stability a ten out of ten.

The tool is very scalable. It is easy to add additional servers and users. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten. It is very difficult to migrate the server. If a primary Exchange server needs to be moved, it is not very easy. The service has to be shut down completely before it can be moved.

If there were a way to move it in real-time while email is still running, I would give it a ten. However, at the moment, we have to shut down the server and migrate or scale it to bigger capacity servers or the cloud. About 100 people in my organization are using the product. It is extensively used in my organization. As the organization grows, we will increase the usage.

I have used a webmail service that comes with Plesk for Linux servers.

The initial setup is moderately easy. It is neither easy nor difficult. It does require Active Directory to be set up properly. Setting it up is not difficult. It takes two days to set up an Exchange server.

We deployed the solution in-house. We need a manager, a systems engineer, and two developers to deploy the solution.

We have seen very good returns on investment. The solution is almost free. We just worry about Microsoft 365 licenses, and then Microsoft handles the deployment in the cloud. Once we set up the cloud domain, the cost is almost zero.

The licensing is integrated with Microsoft 365. Licensing is becoming easier. We can get Exchange in the cloud along with the Microsoft 365 license. We don't have to worry so much about Exchange licenses in the future. It would be deployed in the cloud.

The tool is very stable and easy to set up. However, we need Microsoft-certified engineers to manage it. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

We primarily use the solution to send and receive emails.

In terms of usability, it’s pretty simple.

It’s stable.

The solution can scale well.

In terms of configuration, you definitely have to go way in depth. In terms of configuring the product, that's definitely an area in which they can make some improvements on.

The initial setup is complex.

Technical support could be more responsive.

From an on-premise standpoint, we’d like more security. I would definitely want to see some more security than Office 365 has to offer.

I’ve used the solution for a couple of years.

We’re able to do what we need to. In that sense, it’s stable and reliable. We haven’t had issues.

The solution is quite scalable.

We have about 150 people on the solution currently. Everyone is pretty much using it. Right now, we’re just sticking to the basics. I’m not sure if we have plans to increase usage.

Technical support could be improved. It takes you a while to get through to a technician, especially on the Microsoft side. They need to be more responsive.

Positive

I have utilized G Suite. The flexibility that Microsoft has to offer, especially when it comes to email, is better. Sometimes you need the ability to be able to make certain configurations and policy changes that Google might not offer.

The solution isn’t exactly straightforward. It’s pretty complex. The configuration can be difficult. It takes a while to set up, and you need to have some advanced knowledge in order to implement it correctly.

Based on who you have that is doing the deployment, it could take up to about three days or even maybe up to a week. However, in terms of a deployment plan, we need to analyze in terms of what we do internally and what outcomes we're actually seeking, and put the project plan in place with some timelines.

Internally, you might need one to two people to handle the initial setup. We had two engineers.

We had assistance from a third party.

I don’t have any details in terms of ROI.

I don’t have any information about how much the licensing is.

We didn’t really evaluate other options beyond Microsoft and Google.

I’m an end-user and a customer.

We may not be using the most updated version.

I’d advise potential users to ensure that you do your due diligence. If you're using a third-party contractor, just ensure that they're extremely qualified to actually execute the setup for you. Otherwise, you might run into problems.

I’d rate the solution an eight out of ten. It's stable. It works. Unless you probably go and mess with the configuration, then you won't have any problem. For the most part, it works. It does what it says it's going to do.

Microsoft Exchange is a user-friendly product that is easy to manage and configure. 

Some users encounter stability issues. I connect with the support team through my local partner, which takes time. 

I have been using the product for ten years. 

I rate the product's stability a seven out of ten. 

I rate Microsoft Exchange's scalability a nine out of ten. My company has around 4000 users. 

The tool's deployment is simple. 

I rate Microsoft Exchange's pricing a six out of ten. 

I rate the tool a seven out of ten. 

We use it to share information and collaborate with each other, even when we're working remotely. 

We exchange files and documents, and we also use it to store recordings and other information from meetings with our customers. 

There are some bad days or hard ways when it's tough to connect with people who don't have MS Teams products. But this is only a hard situation when we need to communicate with people outside MS Teams.

So the connectivity could be improved.

Another area of improvement is the sharing of files, the sharing part of Teams. How I can easily share information files or video files with the colleagues I'm working with? So, this is an area for valuable improvement.

Another area of improvement is support. It should be faster and more clear, and more human.

I have been using this solution for the last five years. We use the latest version.

I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. There are hard days. 

It is very easy to scale. Just add on licensing and keep working the same way.

There are around eight end users in our company. It's suitable for our current level. We're a small company, so it's quite okay.

I don't have the best impression of customer service and support. It should be faster and more clear, and more human. The support team deep dives into thousands of documentation pages, making problem-solving time-consuming without human interaction.

Neutral

The initial setup is very straightforward. It just took a minute. It is very easy. 

The deployment is a plug-and-play process. You simply need to access the administrator platform, set up the configurations easily, and share enrollment links with people. It's a very easy process.

The deployment was done in-house. However, you need an IT-oriented person, an IT manager with knowledge of Microsoft.

The license can be both monthly or yearly. It is not expensive.

It's a useful tool for remote work and communication. Start slow and educate yourself. Learn about the solution and give it a try.

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

We primarily use the solution for email and passing on information between the company's user base.

The exchange functionalities are good. It helps ensure information is accessible and can move between people in the company. The exchange of email is very easy.

The integration is very good.

The Microsoft visuals are very helpful. 

We're able to work on SQL servers with no issues. 

I can't say there are any missing features. 

I'd like the archiving process to be faster. 

They could offer better performance and enhancements throughout the product. 

I've been using Microsoft for 15 years. 

The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable. I'd rate the overall stability eight out of ten. 

It is a scalable product. A company would have no issues if it needed to expand. 

The solution is mainly used by all end-users. Everyone in the company has it. That's about 1,500 users.

I have never reached out to technical support.

I have never worked with other similar products. 

Others work on the deployment and configuration process. I did not take part in the implementation process. 

I have five colleagues that handle all aspects of Microsoft maintenance, including any needed maintenance for Exchange. One is an admin on Exchange. The others handle other Microsoft products.

I am using the latest version of the solution. 

I'm an end-user. As an end-user, the solution works well to the point I don't really know it's there. My company is a Microsoft customer. 

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.