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Benjamin Mpolokoso - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager ICT at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Aug 13, 2023
An affordable and stable solution that helps users access their company emails outside the organization
Pros and Cons
  • "The product works very well."
  • "The default storage capacity is too small."

What is our primary use case?

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

What is most valuable?

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.

What needs improvement?

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.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for ten years.

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Microsoft Exchange
January 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

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

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

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.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

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

How was the initial setup?

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.

What about the implementation team?

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

What was our ROI?

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.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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.

What other advice do I have?

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.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Hardware Infrastructure Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 20
Aug 18, 2025
Service improves convenience but needs faster reopening times

What is our primary use case?

Email exchange is part of our operations. As a customer, I use email for communication.

What is most valuable?

Integration is crucial for data storing. Web data is handled effectively, and it's quite convenient.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Exchange is a little bit difficult. The challenge lies in the cloud implementation.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this system for almost more than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The system is stable.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We don't currently use a similar service platform as we developed our own system.

What was our ROI?

When discussing price, we usually inquire about ROI. While Microsoft Exchange is expensive, we see some return on investment.

What other advice do I have?

At this moment, we have not explored additional features. We do not utilize a shared calendar. I focus on scheduling, and we seldom use the shared calendar but share files instead. The system performance is quite satisfactory. I can provide a referral. On a scale of 1-10, I rate Microsoft Exchange a 6.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Last updated: Aug 18, 2025
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Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
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reviewer2126463 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 10
Aug 27, 2024
Needs to offer better support services but is beneficial for managing emails
Pros and Cons
  • "The tool's most valuable feature is associated with the fact that it stands out for being beneficial for managing emails."
  • "At the end of the day, the biggest area for improvement is having better and more knowledgeable support technicians."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution in my company because it is an email system, and it can be hard to get by without one. I also use the tool for different companies and offer support for it. As a consultant, I support it for many different organizations. I use the tool across a whole bunch of different industries, so there are too many to name.

What is most valuable?

The tool's most valuable feature is associated with the fact that it stands out for being beneficial for managing emails.

What needs improvement?

At the end of the day, the biggest area for improvement is having better and more knowledgeable support technicians. Anytime I have to call in with issues about Microsoft Exchange, I know more about it than the consultants or some other people to whom Microsoft pays to offer support for the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have experience with Microsoft Exchange since it came into existence. I used to work at Microsoft, so I have been familiar with Microsoft Exchange when it was Microsoft BPOS. My company has a partnership with Microsoft.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I am a small business person, so the tool's scalability is just fine.

The tool is meant for small businesses.

How are customer service and support?

I rate the technical support a zero out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Negative

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I don't see any differences between Microsoft Exchange and some other email applications I have used. Microsoft Exchange is just a tool. The biggest I see in Microsoft Exchange is that it is much easier to access it through multiple platforms.

What was our ROI?

There is no ROI from the use of the tool in my company. It is a required piece of tool for business. I can have a functionality-related discussion about the tool that I need to run the business. The tool's ROI discussion is kind of moot for me.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution's pricing is fine. There are not many options out there, so it is not fair to rate the tool's pricing on a scale of one to ten. I do think the tool offers value for money.

What other advice do I have?

The security and compliance features impacted our organization to a minimal extent because we use third-party products for most of such stuff.

Speaking about the tool's integration capabilities with other software, I would say that they vary a lot, so some things are good, while some areas are challenging.

I utilize the mobile access features of the tool all the time.

Speaking about the tool's productivity, I would say it is the number one email platform in the world. The product works just fine. It does what I need it to do. The only time I get frustrated is when it breaks down or doesn't do things the way it is supposed to and when the support people are unable to assist me.

As I support Microsoft Exchange for many people, I can recommend it to others.

When the tool is working just fine, it is a great product. When it breaks and I cannot get it working the way it is supposed to, it is bad.

I rate the tool a five out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Security Manager at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Aug 18, 2023
Provides seamless integration with other Microsoft products and good graphical interface
Pros and Cons
  • "I find the Outlook client very valuable. It allows me to connect to the Exchange Server and send and receive emails easily. The graphical interface is user-friendly and has a good look and feel."
  • "I would like to see the search capability of the Outlook client improved"

What is our primary use case?

The main use cases are sending and receiving emails, managing calendars, scheduling meetings, and integrating with Microsoft Teams.

What is most valuable?

I find the Outlook client very valuable. It allows me to connect to the Exchange Server and send and receive emails easily. The graphical interface is user-friendly and has a good look and feel. 

Additionally, I appreciate its seamless integration with other Microsoft solutions like Teams and To-Do.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see the search capability of the Outlook client improved. I would like to be able to search emails by date, sender, recipient, or attachment.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for more the ten years. We use the latest version. It's the cloud version of the Microsoft 365 solution that includes the Exchange Server. So, we use the latest solution provided by Microsoft in their cloud environment.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability a ten out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is quite scalable when it comes to Microsoft products. I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten. 

We all use this solution in our organization. 

How are customer service and support?

We have often contacted customer service and support. It's a widely used product around the world. We often turn to community resources. When we are not able to solve a problem we contact our system integrator.  

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We switched to Microsoft because Exchange is the most integrated with other Microsoft products.

How was the initial setup?

If you're using Microsoft 365, it's very easy to setup since Microsoft manages most of it. You simply configure your clients to connect to the Microsoft server using your credentials. 

For on-premises solutions, it's a bit more complex as you need to set up and configure servers. You also have to manage roles and permissions, which is not required for the cloud solution.

The setup time can vary. For a small environment, it can take a day or less, especially if you're using a cloud solution like Microsoft 365. However, for larger deployments, there's additional work involved in configuring and optimizing the system.

Many users prefer Microsoft 365 as a cloud solution, which is easy to set up. However, there are still users who opt for on-premises solutions, which require more setup and management. Some are transitioning from on-premises to the cloud for better flexibility and management.

What about the implementation team?

We require a few people for the maintenance of the solution. It's easy to manage. We have one dedicated technician.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For the cloud version, we have to pay. On-premises versions include some licensing, like Office 365 packages. There are variations.

The pricing is reasonable. It's not too expensive. It's comparable to Google, but Google offers fewer features.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We considered Linux-based products and Google products. 

What other advice do I have?

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

I surely recommend Exchange. The recommendation is to manage the change process correctly, such as the access system, MFA, password change policy, and complex passwords. You should also use Microsoft's email anti-malware solution to resolve issues and avoid phishing campaigns. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
GeorgeTzifas - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Operating Officer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Aug 12, 2023
Provides easy exchange of files, documents, and simple setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The deployment is a plug-and-play process."
  • "I don't have the best impression of customer service and support. It should be faster and more clear, and more human. T"

What is our primary use case?

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. 

What is most valuable?


What needs improvement?

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.

For how long have I used the solution?

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

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

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

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

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.

How are customer service and support?

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.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

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

What about the implementation team?

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.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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

What other advice do I have?

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. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
MohamedAbdallah - PeerSpot reviewer
Head Section of Projects Development at a hospitality company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Mar 9, 2023
Good functionality, good integration, and helps make email very accessible
Pros and Cons
  • "The exchange functionalities are good."
  • "I'd like the archiving process to be faster."

What is our primary use case?

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

What is most valuable?

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. 

What needs improvement?

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. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Microsoft for 15 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

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. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

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.

How are customer service and support?

I have never reached out to technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have never worked with other similar products. 

How was the initial setup?

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.

What other advice do I have?

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.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Md. Ariful Islam - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Software Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Real User
Jan 29, 2023
The best feature is single sign-on access
Pros and Cons
  • "Exchange's best feature is single sign-on access using the Microsoft Identity framework."
  • "The security features could be improved. There should be a better policy management system."

What is our primary use case?

Exchange is an email solution. 

What is most valuable?

Exchange's best feature is single sign-on access using the Microsoft Identity framework. 

What needs improvement?

The security features could be improved. There should be a better policy management system. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Exchange for the last 12 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Exchange is 100% stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Exchange is 100% scalable. More than 100 of my customers use Microsoft Exchange, and some of the larger ones have more than 10,000 users.

How are customer service and support?

We are a service provider, so we provide the first and second tiers of support. If we cannot solve the issue, we escalate to Microsoft premier support. My clients are happy with the Microsoft team. 

How was the initial setup?

When I started using Microsoft Exchange, I found it to be complex. It's much easier now that I understand the architecture. Microsoft Exchange can be deployed on-premises, but it is also excellent as a cloud solution. 

The deployment time depends on the customer. A greenfield deployment typically takes around two weeks. It might take one or two months if you need to migrate accounts and data. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft Exchange 10 out of 10. I always recommended customers go with the Microsoft email solution, either on-premises Exchange or Microsoft Office 365. You can also go for the hybrid. I suggest Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange for their collaboration and communication solutions.

Speaker 2:

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Technical Consultant
Consultant
Oct 10, 2022
Integrates well with other tools and software; scalable and has good stability
Pros and Cons
  • "What I love about Microsoft Exchange is the good integration since 2013, particularly its integration with the calendar and other software such as Zoom, TeamViewer, AnyDesk, etc."
  • "After 2022, users of Microsoft Exchange have to migrate mailboxes to Microsoft Exchange Online, and what I'd like to improve is for Microsoft to publish more on-premise versions for customers using Microsoft Exchange. Having more security is another room for improvement in the solution, particularly for mailboxes that develop the Exchange Edge rule to protect internal mailboxes. What I'd like to see from Microsoft Exchange in the future is for Microsoft to still update the latest, existing version which is 2022. I'd like Microsoft to still push more cumulative updates for Microsoft Exchange 2022."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Exchange is the main mail server of Microsoft. It's a popular mail server, so a common use case for Microsoft Exchange is for small, medium, and enterprise-scale businesses. It's a mail solution, voicemail solution, live calendar solution, etc.

What is most valuable?

What I love about Microsoft Exchange is the good integration since 2013, particularly its integration with the calendar and other software such as Zoom, TeamViewer, AnyDesk, etc.

What needs improvement?

After 2022, users of Microsoft Exchange have to migrate mailboxes to Microsoft Exchange Online, and what I'd like to improve is for Microsoft to publish more on-premise versions for customers using Microsoft Exchange. Having more security is another room for improvement in the solution, particularly for mailboxes that develop the Exchange Edge rule to protect internal mailboxes.

What I'd like to see from Microsoft Exchange in the future is for Microsoft to still update the latest, existing version which is 2022. I'd like Microsoft to still push more cumulative updates for Microsoft Exchange 2022.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Microsoft Exchange for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I'm impressed with Microsoft Exchange, and I'm rating it five out of five, stability-wise.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Exchange is a scalable solution.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Microsoft Exchange from 2016 to 2022 in an SMB environment is straightforward because Microsoft combined all the cache, hubs, and mailboxes into one server. For large enterprises, the initial setup for Microsoft Exchange isn't as straightforward because large enterprises require more sophisticated setups.

How long it takes to deploy Microsoft Exchange depends on the size of the environment. For example, if I'm going to implement the solution in a small or medium-sized customer environment, then the deployment would take approximately one to two days, but if I'm implementing Microsoft Exchange for a more complex environment that has a minimum of 10 mailboxes and multiple sites, the deployment alone can take up to one week.

What about the implementation team?

My team is responsible for deploying Microsoft Exchange for customers, so the implementation is in-house. I lead the deployment team.

What was our ROI?

The ROI you get from Microsoft Exchange can be very, very broad in terms of values. The solution, particularly the on-premise version, can save you additional costs compared to deploying it on the cloud, but the downside is the maintenance cost, and during new releases or updates, you may want to schedule the downtime in advance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't have enough information about the licensing costs of Microsoft Exchange, but I do know that you need two types of licenses to run it. You need the product key and the client access key to activate Microsoft Exchange. This means that apart from the standard Microsoft Exchange licensing fees, you have to pay additional costs.

What other advice do I have?

I'm working in a professional service company that's implementing Microsoft Exchange on-premises for customers. I implemented the solution on-premises in 2016, 2019, and 2022. In 2016, I also performed a migration from Microsoft Exchange to Microsoft Exchange Online.

My current company has between fifty to one hundred users of Microsoft Exchange, but in terms of the number of clients my team has implemented the solution for on-premises, it's potentially five thousand.

Deploying Microsoft Exchange for SMB would require just two people, but deploying it for enterprise-scale businesses would require a minimum of three people. Maintaining Microsoft Exchange requires five to seven people for SMBs, and up to twelve in enterprise environments because maintaining the solution isn't as easy.

My advice to anyone looking into implementing or using Microsoft Exchange is the same advice I give to my team every day, which is to be more aware of new information found on the internet in terms of troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange problems. You should also keep on training about sophisticated setups for the solution because you deal with aggressive customers, so I encourage my team to learn about Microsoft Exchange designs, troubleshooting mechanisms, etc.

I'm rating Microsoft Exchange as nine out of ten.

My company is an implementer and consultant for Microsoft Exchange, not a reseller or retailer. The customer is responsible for purchasing the Microsoft Exchange license.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner/Implementer
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Exchange Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Exchange Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.