Debuts in parallel with Exchange 2010 release from Microsoft
2009-11-09
Intermedia, the global leader in Microsoft Exchange hosting, today launched the first hosted Exchange 2010 service, moments after Microsoft announced the availability of its Exchange Server 2010 software. The hosted service is available to direct customers and affiliates, adding key features such as support for BlackBerry® wireless solutions and free migration from legacy versions of Exchange. Partners wishing to resell hosted Exchange 2010 under their own brand will be able to offer Intermedia's private label platform later in 2009.
"Intermedia was the first to market with hosted Exchange 2007 and now hosted Exchange 2010," says Serguei Sofinski, Intermedia's chief executive officer. "This is about more than innovation for innovation's sake. We are serving our customers and our partners with sophisticated Fortune 500-grade systems - but in a way that is deeply practical for small- and medium-sized businesses."
"Exchange 2010 is a powerful tool for Microsoft as it defends its email and collaboration market leadership against online services like Google Apps," adds Michael Osterman of industry analyst firm Osterman Research. "Microsoft built Exchange 2010 to be delivered as a reliable online service, both from its partners and Microsoft itself. But most small- and medium-sized businesses require more than an online service. They require a range of capabilities around the service, from help with migration to a control panel that makes it simple to administrate Exchange. By addressing these issues, Intermedia continues to position itself as a leading, full-service provider of hosted messaging services. Any small- to medium-sized business considering migration to Exchange 2010 should give Intermedia a very close look."
Intermedia operates the world's largest hosted Exchange service, hosting more than 225,000 premium Microsoft Exchange mailboxes. Before launching hosted Exchange 2010, Intermedia beta tested the service for five months with customers and partners. The company backs hosted Exchange 2010 with a 99.999 percent uptime Service Level Agreement (SLA), guaranteeing less than six minutes of downtime per year.
In addition to the new features Microsoft has included in Exchange 2010 - such as personal archives and multi-mailbox search - Intermedia's hosted Exchange 2010 service offers:
- Premium infrastructure, spanning four data centers, to protect email and speed routing: Customers are able to select the data center of their choice - each with multiple Tier-1 Internet provider connections and hardware from Cisco, Dell and EMC - to assure the fastest round trip for their email. Email records are mirrored in near real-time across data centers, assuring data protection and email reliability even in the event of a disaster.
- Free full-service migration: Using proprietary migration tools, Intermedia migrates customers to hosted Exchange 2010 from their current email system, often Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000. Customers' Active Directories - including distribution lists - are imported typically in less than 60 minutes, enabling them to rapidly begin using the service.
- Control of the Exchange environment: Unique in an industry that relies on generic third-party control panels, Intermedia's HostPilot® Control Panel was designed for small- and medium-sized businesses. It enables business owners and IT managers to delegate complex Exchange administration - such as deleting data from a lost BlackBerry Wireless Handheld™ - to non-technical staff.
- Support with an average hold time of less than 40 seconds: Support is available by phone and email, 24 hours a day. Intermedia support representatives are certified by Microsoft® and RIM®.