This presumes that the function of "e-mail" remains stagnant. If it doesn't, the "pure hardware" box has to chase a moving target, which is not an easy thing to do.
Doesn't just about every company that has a "hardware" firewall also have a firewall administrator? Not that any of your forecasts scare me. I'm retiring within 20 years. Ed Crowley MCSE+Internet MVP kcCC+I Tech Consultant hp Services Protecting the world from PSTs and Bricked Backups! -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:bounce-exchange-94760@;ls.swynk.com] On Behalf Of Dupler, Craig Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 11:30 AM To: Exchange Discussions Subject: RE: somewhat OT So Roger, does this mean that you are getting ready for the sobering messages? First, let me say that I am not privy to any advanced product planning in what I am about to say, and am only speculating. I fully expect to see a pure hardware version of an entry level Exchange Server within ten years. The design goal would have to be such that a professional sys admin is not required. My guess is that initially it would be targeted at that same mid-tier that you identify, but perhaps a bit lower (25-100 seats) at first. It has to go that way. If you look at what is happening in networking as a whole, you have companies like LinkSys and D-Link that are almost totally focused on idiot proof boxes for basic functionality. Intel, Nortel and more recently Microsoft have all gone chasing after this space as well. It only makes sense that this space will grow up to include a line of mini-blade or little box headless servers that do all of the basics (mail, telephony, web hosting, etc.). General purpose storage and print servicing is already happening. As we all know, little machines grow up to become big machines. 20 years from now, it is not unreasonable to project that even quite large systems will be simple hardware modules that you add to your pile of network pieces. -----Original Message----- From: Roger Seielstad [mailto:roger.seielstad@;inovis.com] Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 11:15 AM To: Exchange Discussions Subject: RE: somewhat OT Simple. Its not cost effective to outsourse at the levels they target. They missed the boat from day one. There is a relative break even point for having your own "IT" staff, generally in the 25-75 user range, depending on what your company actually does. More than 100 or so, and you really need someone. Once you've got someone inhouse, they tend to have to be a jack-of-all-trades type, and do a lot of fumbling through. But the job gets done. Traditionally, an NT box with Exchange 5.5 Standard wasn't really that expensive - you could probably do that for <$10k. Win2k with E2k has raised the prices a bit, but not exhorbinantly such. With leasing options, that server could be a few hundred a month. Like any service provider, the good fruit is in the middle of the tree, not the low hanging stuff. SO they tended to target 500 person plus orgs. This 600-ish person company has 8 sysadmins - we have enough time to manage Exchange. Without it, maybe we'd have one less headcount, but I'd bet that the headcount loss isn't drastically different than the cost of 600 users' outsourced mail needs. Now, the other side of this equation is that email is a core business need for most companies, and isn't that hard to at least get running[1]. More specialized things, like e-commerce and line of business apps make more sense in a managed environment. Email never did. ------------------------------------------------------ Roger D. Seielstad - MCSE Sr. Systems Administrator Inovis - Formerly Harbinger and Extricity Atlanta, GA [1] Running well is a different question, but running and running well aren't the issue here. > -----Original Message----- > From: Greg Deckler [mailto:greg@;infonition.com] > Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 12:25 PM > To: Exchange Discussions > Subject: Re: somewhat OT > > > You've hit the major players. The entire email hosting > business has pretty > much flopped and consolidated. Critical Path handed over its hosted > corporate messaging services to HP. United Messaging was acquired by > Agilera. Commtouch sold its hosted Exchange business to TeleComputing. > > USA.NET and Mi8 are still hanging in there, for now. But this entire > market space has just been decimated of late. I still think that the > business case is there for outsourced messaging, but apparently not > enough people have the same attitude that I do. > > Anyone else care to comment on why they think that this > market space has > flopped? One would think that in a time of economic hardship, > companies > would really be looking to outsource anything and everything > they can in > order to lower costs. If outsourced corporate messaging can't > make it in > today's economy, I have serious doubts that it will ever make > it. But the > question is why? Outsourced messaging holds the promise of > lower costs, > flexibility and the ability to focus on one's core business. > In addition, > many of the outsourced providers can put together systems > that have a mix > of high-end and low-end mailbox services that are all tied > together as a > single system. This means that companies can have Exchange > mailboxes for > those that need it and low-cost IMAP/POP mailboxes for > everyone else and > the outsourcer ties it all together to look like a single > email system. So > why did this market fail? > > > Who all is left in the Hosted E2K (asp-model) game?=20 > > > > USA.NET? > > MI8?=20 > > Critical Path? > > > > others?=20 > > > > j > > Regards,=20 > > > > > > John Henley > > _________________________________________________________________ > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _________________________________________________________________ List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _________________________________________________________________ List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _________________________________________________________________ List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
