Moving Day

Okay. The time has come to move your current email system over to the outsourced company and you don’t know where to begin. Luckily for you, these companies typically take care of all of the transferring and you won’t have to lift a digital finger.

This doesn’t mean you should be clueless about the process. That’s why this section is devoted to showing you just how the company you’ve chosen will not only transfer your data but will also set up new accounts for all of your employees, install protective software and keep you informed every step of the way.

However, it is important to divide this section into two parts. Below, we will describe the two major types of email outsourcing: managed infrastructure and route filtering. It is important for you to choose the method that best suits your needs and your company’s needs.

Cutting the Necessary Corners

If you’re preparing to make a switch in your email system based on the above information, chances are good that one of your main goals is to cut down on overall operating costs. You’re looking to outsource your email in order to find a more cost-effective way of doing business. What often happens, however, is that businesses enact a cost-cutting measure—and then fail to follow through with the actual cost cuts.

Now, then, is a good time to look at the structure of your organization and take a hard look at what will change once your email is outsourced. Consider, for example, changes you might want to make in human capital. Are any of your employees currently engaged in tasks that will be taken over by the new email company? If so, carrying out the changeover without adjusting your existing status quo is a recipe for failure (and overspending). Consider rewriting job descriptions, combining positions, or moving people to different departments where they can continue to offer great things to the company. Assure your employees that you’re seeking to find the right ways to use their talents—and that you don’t want anyone’s time to be wasted on tasks that no longer need to be done or monitored.

Another sector you will want to check for new overlap is in terms of equipment and hard resources. Do you have excess computer equipment that you will no longer be using? Think about what you might be able to sell—or what space might be cleared out for extra storage or office space.

Properly handled, the switch from in-house email to outsourced email can be a great cost-cutting measure. It is important, however, that you manage things properly to guarantee that you’re getting the most money out of the changes you are making.

Set Up a Temporary Service

Before you venture into transferring all of your email accounts over to an external service, you should set up backup accounts in the meantime. While this is not a necessary step, it can be useful in case there is any sort of delay between setup and full use. For instance, if you find that you’ll be transferring your email networks over the course of a week, you will need a backup account or service. During this time, you may be unable to access the old service hosted on your own networks or use the new one hosted on the external networks.

Again, this is not a required step for the transfer, but it can be beneficial if you do a majority of your communication through email and expect to have a considerable gap between service stop and start times. Just remember to go over all of the particulars with the company with whom you choose to outsource. A good company will want to know your needs and do their best to meet those needs.

Back Up Everything

Whenever you’re using anything involving computers, it is always a good idea to back up important files. Whether you use an external hard drive, Zip disks or any of the other radically changing and expanding backup media available today, it is absolutely vital to make backup copies of all important emails, attachments and even your mailbox. In some cases, you will not be able to transfer your mailbox over to the new server, so you will just need to keep that saved in a separate folder or file.

An accurate record of correspondence is vital to a successful business. It is especially important to have accurate dates on your saved emails. Once you save a backup of everything, do a quick comparison to make sure the dates are the same on both copies. This is very important, especially if important documents are sent via email to external locations. If your company should ever find itself facing litigation of some sort, it will be vital to have accurate timestamps on each and every email for documentation purposes.

Preparing for the Move

Before you even consider moving your email network over to an outside company, be sure that you have everything within your office in order. Here are some tips to make the move smooth and easy and to ensure nothing goes terribly wrong after the fact:

Brief Your Employees

It is never a good idea to surprise your employees with anything. That’s why it is so vital to communicate to your employees exactly what you’re planning to do. Break down why you think it is beneficial to transfer all email functions over to an external server and hosting service. Be sure to include information from any research you may have done. Show your employees how this move will improve the function of your business and save money. While you don’t have to do any of these things and you certainly don’t have to convince your employees of the benefits of the move, it is always a good idea to get full buy-in and support from your company. This will create a sense of community, should there be any difficulty in the transfer or any other bumps in the road.

Once You've Decided to Outsource

It may not seem simple or feel right to outsource right away. That’s okay. It’s normal to feel out of place with something new and different, particularly when it comes to something that can affect the productivity and bottom line of your business. But keep in mind that outsourcing really is the new paradigm in business processes, which is why beginning with email can help so much. The shift of the email functions of an entire company can be quite a huge undertaking, making it necessary to bring in outside help for the journey and to prepare yourself.

The best place to start is the beginning, so let’s get going.

Top Outsourcing Companies

If you’re serious about transferring from an in-house server or email system to an outsourced one, you should definitely check out the following companies. They are a great place to start looking for the right contractor for your business.

Mail2World - mail2world.net

This company serves some very large businesses, including ICQ and iVillage.com. You can view their services as well as detailed case studies on past clients.

LuxSci - luxsci.com

With great customer service and tech support, LuxSci sets itself apart from its competitors. You can purchase email outsourcing services and even Web hosting packages.

The Messaging Engine - messagingengine.com

With comprehensive email services and high levels of functionality, The Messaging Engine is a natural choice for outsourcing business email.

MiraPoint - mirapoint.com

They go beyond your email outsourcing needs and offer web mail and email migration. Regardless of your needs, this company is sure to offer something to meet them.

Connectria - connectria.com

Another natural choice for your business’s outsourcing needs, Connectria offers so many services that their company could be called comprehensive. They also boast the parent company of “American Idol,” FremantleMedia, among their high-caliber clients. The list also includes 3M, A.G. Edwards and The Wharton School.

These are just a few of the many outsourcing companies out there today. By engaging in your own search, you’ll be sure to find more information than you’ll know what to do with. But a large list is beneficial and allows you to be really thorough in screening and selecting the perfect company with the right skill set and level of commitment you deserve.

Just remember to employ the tips provided in this chapter to stay safe and maintain only the highest level of quality in every single aspect of your business.