System Administrator at KREBS+KIEFER
Real User
Top 5
The tool has diverse functions and excellent support
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft has many consultants who can provide support."
  • "It is tricky to integrate Microsoft Exchange Online if you are in an infrastructure provided by other vendors."

What is our primary use case?

I work for civil ministries, and we exclusively use Microsoft products because we get them for a low price.

I handle security with Fortinet, and I run virtualization with Citrix. Those are my main tasks.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft has many consultants who can provide support.

What needs improvement?

Some of the Microsoft implementations of protocols are far from standard. They make their own standards, and you're out if you can't convert to them. With other Unix-based solutions, we had more flexibility to react to special problems we needed to solve. We can only solve the problem now if the problem is solvable with Microsoft.

Similarly, it is tricky to integrate Microsoft Exchange Online if you are in an infrastructure provided by other vendors. We have had an alternative solution to Exchange since 2016, and if we had problems, it was never a problem with Microsoft. It was a problem with the alternative product. The problem is that Microsoft has a standard, and you need to stick to it.

Even if the reason for the problems is Microsoft, the SMTP stack in Exchange is far from the RC of SMTP. If the alternative solution makes extensions to DNS for their active directory and if you use an RC DNS server, you would have problems with some of the records that Microsoft produces. They are not replicated. If you begin with Microsoft, you make everything Microsoft. It is difficult to mix Microsoft with other vendors or with other products. And you get less support if you want to choose a solution other than Microsoft.

Moreover, Exchange Online should work on integration with other services like Teams because when they work together, you gain benefits that other companies might not be able to give you.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Exchange Online since 2012, and we will use it in the future.

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange Online
May 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange Online. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2024.
771,170 professionals have used our research since 2012.

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

We formerly worked with Unix-based mail servers. The positive side is that you're flexible. You could use different hardware. You get limited with Microsoft.

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

Microsoft solutions are expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I prefer to use solutions like LibreOffice since they are free and cheaper, but our partners might have problems reading our data, and we would face difficulties cooperating.

The main problem with Microsoft products is that we get very dependent on them. Until 2016, I had to make decisions for the budget for the Southwest of Germany, and when you work with Microsoft, your budget is fixed to them, and you lose your ability to work with other solutions. That was a bad situation for us.

If you don't plan to use other solutions in the future, it's a good product. Otherwise, you have to be prepared that some problems may arise. Once you get married to Microsoft, it's a fierce divorce if you want to leave. I rate the solution an eight to nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
SunilAgarwal - PeerSpot reviewer
Executive Vice President and Global Head of Research and Development at Bqube Global
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Secure with good support and an easy implementation
Pros and Cons
  • "It's not hard to set up."
  • "We'd like to see more integration with other platforms."

What is our primary use case?

We are primarily using the solution for Office 365 and various other Microsoft products. It's used for any integration of any applications. Multiple company domains have been configured on a single exchange. It helps us standardize and consolidate connectivity. 

What is most valuable?

We like the standardization we can get across all of our companies. We can put all domains on one exchange. The user can then have one single ID instead of creating five emails for one user. 

It scales well.

Technical support is helpful.

It's not hard to set up.

The solution is stable.

The product offers good value for money. After a few years, we have seen an ROI. 

What needs improvement?

There are no features that are missing.

We'd like to see more integration with other platforms. We'd like to explore the feature of SSO and Artemis. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for more than three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It's very stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale well. It's cloud-based, which makes it very simple. We just have to approach our reseller and add on more licenses. You can have 50 users or 50,000 users, and it will work just as well. 

We have about 1,000 or more users on the product currently. We do have plans to increase it to 1,500 by the end of the year. 

How are customer service and support?

We may have used technical support previously and were able to resolve any issues within a week. They are very good. They are helpful.

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

I did not previously use a different solution. Past colleagues may have used something else. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup takes two to four weeks. It's pretty straightforward. We take each domain and consolidate everything on the exchange. We can migrate everything in one go, and usually, we migrate each company each week and migrate one by one, so that end users are not disturbed. 

What was our ROI?

We have experienced an ROI after three to four years. 

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

We pay for the solution annually. The price is a bit expensive. However, it offers good value for money. The implementation cost is minimal. Also, now it is on the cloud, we don't have to worry about storage, maintenance, or hardware. The cloud is highly secure, and it helps save us money in the long run. 

What other advice do I have?

This is the latest version. We are using the cloud version, and it is constantly updated. We are using all of the standard features that come with the cloud-based product. 

This is a very user-friendly enterprise solution. Everything is very secure according to GDPR needs. The product is scalable, and its offering good value for money. Everyone can use it. It's a great product.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange Online
May 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange Online. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2024.
771,170 professionals have used our research since 2012.
TOFIK AHMED - PeerSpot reviewer
Ict User Support Technician at Jju
Real User
Top 10
Good cloud environment, is stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the cloud environment."
  • "The deployment is complex and has room for improvement."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of Microsoft Exchange Online is for emailing.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the cloud environment.

What needs improvement?

The deployment is complex and has room for improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

The deployment takes some time because it is complex.

We required 14 people for the deployment.

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

We have a three-year license for $25,000.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

We have 700 people using the solution.

I recommend Microsoft Exchange Online to other users.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

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

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
SahilSharma1 - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Manager at PayU Payments Private Limited
Real User
Top 5
Easy to use, and straightforward deployment, but is not stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is scalable."
  • "The stability of the solution has room for improvement."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of the solution is for email and SharePoint.

How has it helped my organization?

We are beginning to explore Office 365 Online Exchange and Azure, which are part of Microsoft 365. We intend to create our Active Directory and Domain Controller on Azure and integrate OnTime Active Directory with Azure Active Directory.

What is most valuable?

I haven't encountered any downtime with Exchange Online so far. Last week, the entire Azure portal experienced an outage, which caused some disruption, but thankfully, we haven't had any issues with 365 yet.

What needs improvement?

The stability of the solution has room for improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for over four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I give the stability a seven out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

We have thousands of people using Microsoft Exchange Online.

How are customer service and support?

We have a limited amount of time to contact tech support, but we usually communicate with the vendor. If I have an issue, our Microsoft partner can help us with problem-solving.

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

We previously used Google G Suite before switching to Microsoft Exchange Online.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was completed in-house with the help of our Microsoft partner.

What was our ROI?

We have seen a return on investment since we are taking advantage of the license and Microsoft Exchange Online's useful features.

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

The cost of our annual license for the solution is moderate. I would give the cost a five out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution a seven out of ten. Microsoft Azure has experienced outages at times, but it can be comparable to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

I strongly suggest using Microsoft Office Exchange due to its ease of use and maintenance, as well as its increased reliability and added security features.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

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

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Emil Heinemann - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at Cerberus IT Solutions
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Quick setup, useful online archiving, and highly scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online is if you have people that are geographically distributed from each other is good. For example, if you have people in the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, having an online solution works best because then you can reach the scale of the data centers that are available by Microsoft. Additionally, if you're only going to have two to three people using the solution the cost is a lot less than having an onsite server and licensing. It is highly beneficial in these areas."
  • "The support from the vendor is fine. However, it could be faster, and some of the agents could be more knowledgeable, but it is a large solution, there's a lot of information that the agents have to work with. I can't always expect when I get connected to the first-level agent that they will know absolutely everything. Sometimes there's no replacement for pure experience."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Exchange Online is used for emails and it does a fantastic job. 

The only reason why you would choose an online solution is the company that you're working at is they do not want to have an onsite server. The companies that want something on-site would choose the on-premise version.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online is if you have people that are geographically distributed from each other is good. For example, if you have people in the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, having an online solution works best because then you can reach the scale of the data centers that are available by Microsoft. Additionally, if you're only going to have two to three people using the solution the cost is a lot less than having an onsite server and licensing. It is highly beneficial in these areas.

The online archiving option works well. If you have a lot of emails and you want to keep them indefinitely, then you can use the online archive. It's available permanently and you can store quite a bit of email inside it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Exchange Online for approximately four and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is good. I've only had an issue with it once or twice, but that was due to undersea cable damage.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Exchange Online is highly scalable.

We have a lot of users using this solution.

How are customer service and support?

The support from the vendor is fine. However, it could be faster, and some of the agents could be more knowledgeable, but it is a large solution, there's a lot of information that the agents have to work with. I can't always expect when I get connected to the first-level agent that they will know absolutely everything. Sometimes there's no replacement for pure experience.

I rate the support from Microsoft Exchange Online a three out of five.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of the cloud version is similar to the on-premise version. You can have a straightforward or semi-complex deployment. Cloud deployments do not become as complex as the on-premise version, but they can, depending on how it is used. 

The deployment of the solution only takes five minutes. It is very useful when deploying from scratch. As soon as you have the domain up and running it is complete and ready to go.

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

The license for the solution is cheap, but it could be more affordable in the long term.

What other advice do I have?

We have one level two or level three engineer that does the deployment and maintenance of the solution. The online version does not require a lot of people to run it.

I recommend this solution to others and they will not regret it. They should not use other solutions.

I rate Microsoft Exchange Online a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technical Consultant at LinkDev
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Helps provide storage size needed for backup
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Exchange Online is a stable product."
  • "I feel that there is a need for improvement in the product, considering that there are some concerns with the tool's integration capabilities."

What is our primary use case?

I don't use all the features of Microsoft Exchange Online. The product helped me solve my issue related to the storage size needed for backup every time.

How has it helped my organization?

Microsoft Exchange Online Microsoft is a useful tool for Microsoft Teams and scrum planning.

What needs improvement?

I feel that there is a need for improvement in the product, considering that there are some concerns with the tool's integration capabilities.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Exchange Online for three years. My company has a partnership with Microsoft.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Exchange Online is a stable product. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Around 600 people in my company use the product.

My company has not planned to increase the use of the solution.

How was the initial setup?

The product's initial setup phase was straightforward.

The solution can be deployed in a week.

My company requires people with some IT knowledge to handle the product's deployment and maintenance processes.

What about the implementation team?

My company's in-house team deals with the product's installation process.

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

My company needs to make monthly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the product. I feel that the price of the product is affordable.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

My company chose Microsoft Exchange Online over other products since we have a partnership with Microsoft. For our company's business uses, Microsoft helps save costs and offers good support.

What other advice do I have?

The feature of Microsoft Exchange Online I found to be the most beneficial for team collaboration stems from the integration capabilities. Microsoft Exchange Online can integrate with products like Microsoft Teams or Windows Live.

I have seen that Microsoft Exchange Online's dashboard ensures the aggregation of all the integrated items in a single interface. I think my company has to order Microsoft Teams and apply for it separately to be used on a product like Microsoft Exchange Online.

The security and compliance features of Microsoft Exchange Online have impacted our company's business operations as it is a good tool for business needs, and I haven't seen any major issues with it in any of the items provided. I have also not had any negative reviews or complaints about the product from our company's teams.

I use the solution's calendar functions for my scheduling needs. but I don't know how it offers any support.

The tool's integration capabilities were used for the benefit of the management of the areas attached to the solution from a single place.

I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Support Engineer at Crest
Real User
Top 20
Easy to set up with good pricing and good access
Pros and Cons
  • "Technical support is helpful."
  • "We'd like to have the ability to recall emails on the web. I'm not sure if that is available yet."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is basically for access and it provides the ability to just receive and send emails. It also works with calendars and contacts and all of that.

What is most valuable?

The solution works very well. It's one of the best options available. The access it provides is good. 

It has an easy initial setup. 

Technical support is helpful.

It is scalable.

The solution is quite stable. 

It has okay pricing. 

What needs improvement?

We'd like to have the ability to recall emails on the web. I'm not sure if that is available yet.

I haven't used the solution for too long and need more time to see if other improvements are needed.

The cost could be a bit lower.

We've had clients complain about some aspects of Microsoft Bookings. It would be great to have an opinion platform back on Bookings. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with the solution for six months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. The only thing that is not so stable is Microsoft Teams. However, Exchange has good reliability. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I love the scalability. I like that I can start wherever I am and scale up or down. I love the flexibility it gives us.

We have about 50 people on the solution presently. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is great. I've raised some requests, and they were helpful and responsive. 

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

We did not previously use a different solution. 

How was the initial setup?

I took part in the implementation process. The initial setup is pretty straightforward and simple. 

The deployment didn't take more than an hour. 

We have two administrators that are global admins. We have one admin that is specifically for Exchange. 

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

The pricing is fine. I've discussed this with customers, and they have found the price point to be fair. When you compare it to others, like Google, it is competitive. If it could be lower, of course, it would be ideal.

The solution costs $12 to $16 per user per month. 

What other advice do I have?

I currently support Microsoft products. I don't sell Microsoft. They also have my test environment, where I test a few things.

Everything is available in the documentation. It's a great solution. Everything you need is there.

Overall, I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. There's always room to improve still. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

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

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
Director of IT ISO at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 10
Quick to deploy, easy to set up, and works with minimal issue
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very easy to set up and quite quick to deploy."
  • "When you migrate from on-prem to cloud, if you choose to or are forced to do the hybrid, they need to devise a way to undo the hybrid."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for email and calendar functionality.

What is most valuable?

It works. It does what it's supposed to do with minimal issues.

It's one of the products that Microsoft has absolutely done its very best with.

The solution is very easy to set up and quite quick to deploy.

What needs improvement?

Right off the top of my head, I can't think of anything that I would change to improve Exchange.

The pricing could always be better.

Right now, I'm writing documentation to upgrade the existing Exchange and Active Directory from 2016 to 2019.

When you migrate from on-prem to cloud, if you choose to or are forced to do the hybrid, they need to devise a way to undo the hybrid. At present, once you establish a hybrid organization between cloud and on-prem, there's no way to undo it. Fixing that would be most beneficial. At the last organization I was at and did a migration, I had 31,000 users, and my largest mailbox was 90 gigs. It took three months to complete the migration.

We had no choice but to put it into hybrid mode due to the period of time. The MX record can only exist in one place. Therefore, you can't route mail from one system to another system. All the mail had to be routed through the on-prem and then synced from the on-prem to the cloud until everything was in the cloud. Then we were able to move the MX record from being on-prem to being in the cloud. Then all mail could be received in the cloud. However, then there was no way to tear down the Exchange organization on-prem. We are still left with a server, server maintenance, licensing, OS upgrades, patching, and everything on the on-prem server. The on-prem server is literally sitting there doing nothing except filtering air in the data center, costing me power, time and cooling. Therefore, fixing that would be awesome.

For how long have I used the solution?

I’ve used the solution throughout my career - for over 30 years.

How are customer service and support?

Typically, by the time I open a ticket, and they get back to me, I've figured out how to fix it. I don't call them until I'm really stuck.

They're not very good. I have had one of their technicians call me back more than once, and I'll go, "I figured it out, I fixed it." They flat asked me, "Well, how did you fix it?" I'm like, "You're Microsoft. You figure it out." They may not have the best understanding of the system.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

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

I've used Exchange my entire career. My best friend is currently trying to get rid of Lotus Notes where he's at. He's been working on that for a year now, and it just doesn't seem to want to go away. I've always been with this product. I did a bunch of work with GroupWise and got GroupWise out of the environment and so forth - replacing that with Active Directory. However, that really didn't have a mail component to it.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward. It only took a few hours to deploy.

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

The pricing is always something that could be better. We always like to work towards protecting our budget.

I know what the cloud cost per user is. I don't have what the on-premises costs are.

What other advice do I have?

I’m a customer. I don't have any direct relationship with Microsoft.

I’d rate the solution a nine out of ten.

It's an excellent product. It's an excellent mail system. It does exactly what it's supposed to do. If you are under 5,000 employees, I would say that Microsoft 365 is the way to go. If you're over 3,000 or 5,000 employees, I would have some serious conversations about on-prem versus cloud. Once you get over about 3,000 or 5,000 employees that are mail users, the cloud really starts to get much more expensive than on-prem.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Exchange Online Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Exchange Online Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.