Iowa Computer Gurus Gains Better Email and Better Support

Microsoft Exchange, Rackspace Email, Exchange Hybrid, Technology, Consultants, 1-10

Iowa Computer Gurus is a Microsoft Certified Partner specializing in quality software solutions.

• Challenge
  Secure more reliable, robust hosted email with better spam filtering
• Solution
  Flexibility of the Exchange Hybrid and Rackspace Archiving for email storage
• Results
  Anywhere access, better spam filtering, and the power of Fanatical Support^®

Email Outage Warrants Search for New Provider

“Pretty much everything that runs our business, runs off email,” says Mitchel Sellers, CEO of Iowa Computer Gurus. “We work with clients in every time zone and email is the only medium that allows us to exchange messages at any time of day.” With 98% of their customers 250 or more miles away, email is a vital communication tool. Previously, they hosted SmarterMail on a third-party dedicated server. “It would hang and we wouldn’t get email. Sometimes we’d notice right away, and sometimes we wouldn’t. When we went without being able to send or receive email for 24 hours, that was the final straw,” according to Mitchel. Additionally, they were unhappy with the lack of spam filtering and the lack of a robust way to sync his email between his mobile phone and desktop.

Their reliance on email goes beyond customer communication, “Pretty much everything that runs our business runs off email. We use email project alerts, contract distribution, and system notifications,” says Mitchel. They considered free services, like Gmail, but didn’t want the lack of professionalism implied by an unbranded email address. “Without a reliable email service, we couldn’t do what we do,” he says.

Business Email and Archiving in One Place

They considered going with all Microsoft^® Exchange mailboxes. However, only Mitchel really had a need for Exchange’s real-time syncing. “It just didn’t make sense to put everyone on Exchange,” says Mitchel. Most of the providers he investigated only offered Exchange or a proprietary web client. To satisfy his mobility needs and deploy a cost-effective email solution would mean either using two email providers or sacrificing the cost of Exchange for everyone when the benefits of Exchange was only needed by the CEO. That is until he looked into Rackspace’s email solutions.

“My favorite option is definitely the Exchange Hybrid. I love that you can mix and match,” says Mitchel. The Exchange Hybrid is a unique offering that gives businesses the flexibility to assign either Microsoft Exchange or Rackspace Email mailboxes to the same domain. Businesses like Iowa Computer Gurus, who only need Exchange for a few employees can affordably accommodate all their users without overspending. “With most providers it’s ‘either/or.’ The Hybrid made Rackspace the only viable option. They both operate on the same domain and we saved big over going with all Exchange.” By using the robust feature set of Rackspace Email over Exchange for the majority of users, Iowa Computer Gurus saves about 70% a month.

To solve long-term email storage and retrieval needs, they added Rackspace Archiving to their package. From the same Control Panel they use to manage email, they can launch searches throughout their entire email environment. They can even export selected messages into standardized formats for legal or regulatory requirements.

“I’ve worked with some of our customers who have dedicated servers with Rackspace, so I knew their reputation. The whole process was upfront and incredibly easy. We were set up in minutes. Pricing along with [Fanatical] support is a great fit.”

Functionality They Need backed by Fanatical Support

Mitch enjoys his new Exchange service. “I can do business on any computer. My email is synced and I can access it everywhere – on my phone, my office computer, the computer in the basement, the public library. I can get to it anywhere, anytime,” Mitchel says.

Even more than real-time sync, Mitchel is happy to have bullet-proof spam filtering and deliverability he can rely on. “The key requirement is getting the message from point A to point B. If it says it sent, it needs to get there. If it didn’t get there, I need to know.”

“If it’s mission critical, you need responsive support. We know things happen. Networks go down. Equipment wears out. So, having great support is vital,” he says. As a tech service provider, Mitchel understands the value of Fanatical Support. “If I need something, Rackspace responds so quickly. Fanatical Support means more than just expert, around-the-clock phone support, it includes making self-service documentation easily available. “All the support docs are great. Other providers don’t provide this,” he shares.

Of his overall experience with Rackspace, he says, “I’m very impressed. It really has been a fanatical experience.”