Anish Bheekoo - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Lead at CMH
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
An easy, simple, and secure product with an excellent message-tracing feature
Pros and Cons
  • "Message trace is the most valuable feature of the product."
  • "The interface is a bit confusing."

What is our primary use case?

The product is used to create email addresses. We can also create groups and distribution lists. The product also provides email forwarding features. We can create rules, monitor the flow of emails, and trace messages. We can use connectors on the platform for email security and email signature.

What is most valuable?

Message trace is the most valuable feature of the product. We can get a customized report on what is happening in our environment. We can trace all the emails, understand what happened, and get information on how they reached the user and the hops before delivery. It is very interesting.

We can also know how many deliveries failed and are pending in the queue and customize our reports how we want them to be. The product is very easy, simple, and secure. It is available everywhere because it is cloud-based.

What needs improvement?

The solution should have a better interface. The interface is a bit confusing. It should be more simple. The product should also improve the email flow. The rules are a bit complicated compared to the previous version. The previous version was much easier, and the latest one is more complicated.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for four to five years.

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Microsoft Exchange Online
March 2024
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In my organization, 150 people use the product. I have plans to increase the usage by 10% in one or two years, depending on how much the organization will grow. The product is extensively used in our company.

How are customer service and support?

I had a very good first impression of the technical support team. Technically, the team is very good, very supportive, and very friendly. The team members are well-mannered while talking to customers. They follow up very well and are with us until the case is closed and we are satisfied.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

I was using Lotus Notes five to six years ago. It was centrally based in our head office. I didn’t contribute to it. Later, when I applied to have my own email solution, I chose Microsoft.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is very easy to set up. We just have to enter the username and password and start using it. We can deploy emails to end users within five to ten minutes. The product is cloud-based.

What was our ROI?

In our business, everything is done by email applications, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word. So, we get a 60% ROI on the solution.

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

We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution. The cost depends upon the plans we choose and the types of applications we want to use. We have a three-year deal with Microsoft to get a good price for the product. They are very willing to revise the price, accompany us for the setup, and give us a framework. They are very impressive to work with. There are no additional costs associated with the product.

What other advice do I have?

I am using the latest version of the solution. Most businesses and users are using Microsoft for email business. I would recommend the solution to others. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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COO at a comms service provider with 1-10 employees
Real User
Reasonably priced, reliable, easy to install, and helpful technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "When you used to write to someone, you would often begin typing their name and their email address would appear; you would simply click and you would have the correct email address. That has been working for a while, but having the location address appear was a pleasant surprise. It was amazing."
  • "I couldn't delete an email account because it was identified as my primary account by the application."

What is our primary use case?

I use Microsoft Exchange Online for email.

What is most valuable?

I was talking to my dentist this morning, and I was manually entering the appointment into my calendar, and I was impressed that Exchange would actually give me the address. 

It wasn't always this way, but now it's all connected in some way. I just entered the name without checking to make sure I didn't have a typo, and my calendar was able to give me the address, it just popped up. 

When you used to write to someone, you would often begin typing their name and their email address would appear; you would simply click and you would have the correct email address. That has been working for a while, but having the location address appear was a pleasant surprise. It was amazing.

What needs improvement?

I have been having problems with Exchange. Sometimes there are issues with emails, most likely from a POP3 server, and some of the email accounts, I am not sure which one, but emails stop coming in at some point if I don't update. 

Not all of my email accounts are affected, but I have a few, and I am wondering if it is not my Gmail account on Exchange. There will be an upgrade at some point, and if I put it off, emails will stop coming in. That is a problem I have seen before, but then you do the upgrade, restart or restart the application, and usually, when you do the upgrade the problem is gone, and the emails are coming in.

Sometimes they change the interface. This has happened recently, and I'm not sure if it was something I did or something else. They don't ask for your opinion when they do this, and I am not a child anymore, and I despise it when they change the interface without consulting me. 

I am sure they had good reasons for the last interface change, but now you have the mail calendar people and tasks on a very narrow vertical bar on the left-hand side of the screen when Exchange is open full screen, and it used to be on the left side of the screen, but near the bottom, and I used to select them there, but for some reason, it has changed.

Aside from that, it's a good product. I recently added a new email account. I now have four email accounts attached to my main computer from which I receive emails on a regular basis, which is beneficial. I was able to add email accounts on my own. 

I had an issue with a delayed email account at some point. That was a long time ago, and I am not sure if the problem is still present; it could have been two or three years ago.

I couldn't delete an email account because it was identified as my primary account by the application. 

I am not sure why any of my accounts should be considered my primary account if I haven't explicitly told the app that they are. I was unsuccessful in removing it.

I needed to figure out how to change which of my accounts was the main account so that I could delete the one that the machine thought was my main account. But that was three years ago, so I'm not sure if it's still that way, but I was irritated at the time because I wasted half a day figuring out how to do this.

How are customer service and support?

I contacted technical support and was surprised that Microsoft contacted me.

I had some account, login account issues on my Xbox One, and I remember being able to talk to someone in Microsoft, which was also amazing.

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

I used Google Hangouts briefly, but I have been using Microsoft Teams for conferencing.

I am not well versed in Google Hangouts. I have issues when it is not Teams, which is why I use it all of the time. 

When it's not Teams, I sometimes have issues with the desktop that I am using, and the microphone and speakers are not always properly configured. 

I have a camera with an integrated microphone attached to my desktop, as well as speakers connected to the desktop, and there is occasionally an incorrect selection in the inputs for the microphone. 

I am not sure if this is a problem with Google Hangout, Zoom, or something else. I know that Teams always works and that my computer always knows which option is the correct one.

At the start of COVID, when I started using these applications more, like everyone else. I recall attending a meeting where my camera was turned on but I was completely silent because I couldn't figure out how to make my microphone or select the input, and the meeting had already begun, my colleagues took over and I was there, people could see my face, but I couldn't speak.

Now that I've gotten a lot better at this, if the audio doesn't work within the first few minutes of the meeting, I can usually fix it by going into settings and selecting, trying every input until I can actually test and see that, the microphone is now picking up my voice.

Microsft Teams works great for finding the microphone on my machine, or the microphone associated with my camera, but not so well for other applications.

In addition to Microsoft Exchange Online, we use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel Teams, and sometimes PowerPoint.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was all done online. I subscribed, received a link, and installed the application. It is not an online version, but it is online in a browser. 

As it was not installed with a disc, I consider it online. I subscribed to Office 365 or 360, and then I received links to install all of the available applications. They are on my machine, but they were not purchased at a computer store.

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

We have an Office 360 subscription.

I'm not sure. It's somewhere between $100 and $200, but I couldn't tell you.

I didn't install it on my computer. The app is a resident on my computer, but it's a Microsoft Office subscription with automatic updates, and it's not like a version of the application that I purchased and installed on a disc on my machine.

I don't own the application because I pay an annual subscription to use it.

Previously you had to buy it at a computer store and own it until you purchased the next version. That is not the case. I pay approximately $120 or $150 per year, and as long as I pay that amount, they will do regular updates so that I always have the most recent and greatest version of the application.

What other advice do I have?

It's a good product, I would rate Microsoft Exchange Online an eight out of ten.

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
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange Online
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange Online. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
767,667 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Consultant at DP World
Consultant
Has a valuable online archive feature, but the technical support services need improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "The product’s most valuable feature is the online archive."
  • "From an IT perspective, we need clearer documentation to understand the product’s configuration process."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft Exchange Online to send and receive emails through user and application mailboxes.

What is most valuable?

The product’s most valuable feature is the online archive.

What needs improvement?

From an IT perspective, we need clearer documentation to understand the product’s configuration process. It will be helpful if any precise and clear troubleshooting guides are available on the internet.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Microsoft Exchange Online for 11 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the product’s stability a seven out of ten. It could be improved.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 65,000 Microsoft Exchange Online users in our organization. We plan to increase the usage as our company keeps acquiring new companies, and then we merge the users from the acquired companies. I rate its scalability a nine out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

It is challenging to make the front-line technical support team understand the issues. The quality of support needs enhancement.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

I rate the initial setup process an eight out of ten. It takes around a couple of weeks for complete deployment.

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

We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft. Since the last renewal, we have had one more 100% increase in the license due to new acquisitions. We asked Microsoft to provide some discount. Instead, they increase the license cost. The price is not competitive.

We only pay for an enterprise agreement, which includes on-site engagement activities from successful engineers, training sessions, vouchers for exams, etc.

What other advice do I have?

It is important to do homework on exact business requirements and then make a purchase decision. It is not a cost-effective solution in some cases. I rate Microsoft Exchange Online a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Information Security Management Individual Contributor at First Bank of Nigeria Ltd.
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A highly scalable, cloud-based email and collaboration solution with good stability features and seamless integration
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature as it encompasses all aspects of collaboration, communication, reporting, and storage."
  • "There is room for improvement in terms of security, as it could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use it for email authentication, and I believe we've adopted nearly all the associated features and updates that have been implemented.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature as it encompasses all aspects of collaboration, communication, reporting, and storage.

What needs improvement?

There is room for improvement in terms of security, as it could be better. Enhancing end-user knowledge is crucial, as it often requires multiple steps and can become intricate when trying to meet our expectations.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with it for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The system has maintained a high level of stability, although managing licenses and testing can be a bit challenging, especially for large organizations like ours. The downtime occurrences have been relatively rare, with any issues that arise being promptly and effectively resolved.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's highly scalable and you can easily expand your licenses and integrate new capabilities and modules. We can also tap into other solutions by simply using plug-ins, which provide the capabilities we need, and scalability remains a straightforward process.

How are customer service and support?

We occasionally rely on tech support, and while they often meet our expectations, there are instances where our anticipated resolution timelines are not met. This can be attributed to the prolonged engagement period. On a positive note, the overall experience with support has been satisfactory, with most interactions going smoothly. I would rate it eight out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is quite straightforward and not overly complex

What about the implementation team?

The deployment process doesn't differ significantly from other solutions. It involves integrating with our online domain controllers for authentication and setting up the system. It's a straightforward process without complex steps or unique challenges, we collaborate directly with the OEM, without involving external consultants.

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

I find it reasonably priced.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Kalpa Prabashwera - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Information Technology System Administrator at Sumathi Holdings
Real User
Top 10
Reliable, easy to access, and has good support
Pros and Cons
  • "It's pretty reliable. We haven't had any issues with it."
  • "The solution is expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We use the Microsoft email suite and we use this solution on a client basis so email can go through it. Everyone is using it currently.

What is most valuable?

We like that it is online and easy to access. We can work for everywhere. You don't have to install anything. 

It's pretty reliable. We haven't had any issues with it. 

The product is scalable.

Technical support has been very good.

We've witnessed a bit more ROI since switching to the cloud. 

What needs improvement?

The solution is expensive. 

The stability could always be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I'd rate the stability eight out of ten. We haven't had any issues, however, in previous versions, a few months back, we did have an outage.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable. I'd rate it ten out of ten for ease of expansion. There are 300 users on it right now. We do not have plans to increase usage. 

How are customer service and support?

We've used technical support in the past. They have been very good. We have nothing to complain about. 

How was the initial setup?

We don't have to do any setup. We just have to log in and start using it. Since it's cloud-based there is no configuration necessary.

We have three people who are able to deploy and manage the solution.

What was our ROI?

We've seen an ROI. When we were on-premises we had much more trouble. The cloud makes it much better. We're saving a bit more money.

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

The solution is expensive. For the price, we do get value, however, it is a bit too much money.

We pay for the solution on a yearly basis. There are no extra costs on top of licenses. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm always on the latest version since it is a cloud-based solution. 

I'd recommend the solution to others if they have the budget.

I would 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
Ayman Ayman - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior VMware /Storage Administrator at QNB Group
Real User
Top 20
A stable and scalable solution that can be used for receiving emails
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Exchange Online is a very stable solution."
  • "The solution’s API integrations could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I use Microsoft Exchange Online at my workplace for receiving emails.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Exchange Online is a very stable solution.

What needs improvement?

The solution’s API integrations could be improved.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Exchange Online is a scalable solution. Around 5,000 users are using the solution in our organization, and we have plans to increase the usage.

How are customer service and support?

The solution’s technical support is very good.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution through an in-house team.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate Microsoft Exchange Online an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Innocent Ohiaru - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Administrator at James Hope College
Real User
Top 5
A stable and user-friendly solution that provides various productivity tools and enables communication
Pros and Cons
  • "The product enables us to have remote meetings."
  • "The solution must provide better security features."

What is our primary use case?

I manage the tool. All of our business activities happen with the help of the tool. We also have SharePoint integrated into it. We have several other packages listed on the Exchange platform.

What is most valuable?

The product enables us to have remote meetings. Several valuable resources like SharePoint are available to us. It has been our basic tool for communication in an enterprise environment. It's user-friendly. The interfaces are quite friendly. We can navigate around interfaces and tasks. It has several productivity tools attached to it. I can have it deployed on the local computer and the cloud. As long as we have access to the internet, the tool is accessible anywhere in the world. It is a seamless and excellent product. It is a critical support platform.

What needs improvement?

The solution must provide better security features. It provides two-factor authentication, IPSec, security payload, and other authentication and encapsulation. I want more consignment of the access to identify users.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for about 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The tool’s stability is excellent. The server hardly goes down. In ten years, I hardly recall any downtime.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have more than 300 to 400 users.

How are customer service and support?

The support is excellent.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We chose the solution because our sister companies and other associates were using it.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was not difficult. We created a domain and implemented it with the help of a third-party company that is a partner with Microsoft. I do the annual renewal of our licensees. We have moved from enterprise licenses to educational licenses. Educational licenses have certain benefits and discounts.

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

The product is very cheap. It is relatively affordable.

What other advice do I have?

If someone plans to use the solution, they must consider the number of users. They must choose the license model depending on their organization. The documentation must be put together in detail, and the right model must be chosen. Overall, I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

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.
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Ahmed Hesham - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Engineer at Raya Integration
Reseller
Top 5Leaderboard
An easy-to -use and stable solution that can be used for emails
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Exchange Online is an easy-to -use email solution."
  • "Microsoft Exchange Online should have a faster search feature."

What is our primary use case?

I use Microsoft Exchange Online mainly for emails.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Exchange Online is an easy-to -use email solution.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Exchange Online should have a faster search feature.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Exchange Online for eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Exchange Online is a very stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Exchange Online is a scalable solution.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate Microsoft Exchange Online ten out of ten.

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