Planning an Exchange 2016 migration – reseller guide
Moving your customers from one version of Exchange to another is a big project for small to medium businesses. It requires time, money and the right people to execute and implement. However, we can help you throughout the process. If your customers are still using Exchange Server 2010/13 or Hosted Exchange 2010/13, you should start looking at their migration options now.
Microsoft’s extended support for Exchange Server 2010 will end in January 2020
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that Exchange 2010 will reach end of support by January 2020. It means that Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, bug fixes and security fixes for vulnerabilities should there be a potential security breach after the above date. In addition to Exchange 2010, Microsoft stated that Exchange Server 2013 has now entered the extended support phase as of April 10th, 2018. During the extended support phase, Exchange 2013 will only receive updates classified as ‘Critical’ as defined in Microsoft’s Security Update Guide.
With new, stringent data protection regulations such as GDPR now in focus, security and compliance is a top priority for small businesses. Making sure they are on the latest platform is the best approach towards compliance. It’s why we strongly recommend that you start talking to your customers about migrating to Exchange Server 2016 – whether as an on-premises option or with our Hosted Exchange platform in the Cloud.
Key Features of Hosted Exchange 2016
- 250GB Mailboxes – We’ve increased the mailbox storage limit from 125GB to a massive 250GB. These remain fully adjustable so you can benefit from larger profits.
- Encryption in transit and at rest – One of the most in-demand features that’s vital for compliance measures is available in 2016. Customer email is now secure when in transit and at rest in their mailbox.
- Password AD Sync Tool – We’ve implemented a new Active Directory tool so that users will be able to synchronise their password when using their mailbox across devices.
- Ability to ‘send on behalf of’ – Your customers will now be able to send emails on behalf of others, including meeting requests and company-wide emails.
- Increased Attachment File Size – Your customers can now attach a file size of up to 100MB, doubling the original attachment size.
- Enterprise Mailboxes – Unlimited mailbox storage for your customers, bundled with our Email Security and free migration at a competitive price. You can find out more about our new mailboxes, here.
What to expect during migration
If you’re looking to migrate your customer’s email from on-premises, another hosted service or a previous Giacom Exchange platform, we can help you throughout the process. Our team of engineers, technical support agents and Account Managers are on hand to guide you through the migration – so you’ll always be kept in the loop with phone calls and emails. Migration will always begin outside of working hours to ensure minimal impact to your customers too. Of course, their email will still be accessible during migration through OWA.
Depending on how many mailboxes you’re moving across to our platform, or if you opt for our new Enterprise Mailboxes, you’ll receive free migration to Exchange 2016. Contact your Account Manager for more information on how to qualify for free migration.
We make sure migration to our Hosted Exchange 2016 platform is as smooth and painless as possible, no matter which environment your customer mailboxes have originated from. Every customer mailbox you host with us is safe and secure in our quad protected, twin UK datacentres for extra resilience. For more information on our Microsoft Exchange mailboxes, contact our team on 0333 332 0888.