Law Firm Email Options: Microsoft Exchange, Rackspace Mail and Google Mail

Email is important to your business. Here are four options to allow you to have access to all your emails from any device.

MS Exchange is $10 per month, per user. You can access email from anywhere though as Exchange hosts the email and you connect to download copies to each of your devices.
POP3 Accounts are just $2 per account. With these accounts each of those users would download copies only to their desktop.
Pro – Great news is that you can do a hybrid account. So if you need say 10 POP3 and 7 Exchange accounts, you would be at only $90 per month in total.
Pro – Support by Rackspace, which truly does offer fanatical support.
Con – Monthly license per account.

Directly from Microsoft, they have their own Exchange accounts at $4 per user/account. They also have a higher rate plan at $8 per user, per month.
This could be a good way to go. Check out their features here – http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/compare-microsoft-exchange-online-plans-hosted-email-for-business-FX103764022.aspx
Pro – Lower exchange cost than Rackspace.
Pro – Support by Microsoft directly.
Con – Monthly license, but that is really, really cheap for Exchange.

$5 per user per month
Similar to Exchange, but uses Google’s interface for webmail. You can download email to any device and connect to webmail too.
Pro – Built on Google’s architecture and platform
Con – Google is great at technology, but their support via phone and email can sometimes be lacking.

Your Own Server

You can purchase your own server, Exchange License and IT Support package.
Costs vary depending on provider, server and licenses needed.
Pro – Your own technology and provider.
Con – Your own technology and provider. Most of the time getting setup and maintaining is more expensive than licensing out.
Con – Your own technology and provider. Most of the time getting setup and maintaining is more expensive than licensing out.

If you have other options, let us know in the comments. Thanks.