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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.