Hi all,
Here is my 2 cents.
My customers are small companies, fewer than 100 people.
Here is what I found.
They (management) want cool features that excite them.(Read brag about:
e.g. Bluetooth)
Whether they use them or not.
They may want to brag about how much they spent: 8,000 for 12 users.
They want to sync their palm with several computers to one mailbox, or
many mailboxes.
They want 8 or 9 different email addresses with simple (it should just
know) delivery to 19 different folders and a few other people,
including external mail accounts.
They want only certain mail delivered to their phones.
They want no spam.
They want to sign up for every newsletter they can find.
They want public folders.
They want public calendars.
They want to open other users schedules and mailboxes.
They want "send on behalf of"
They want group based email accounts.
They want access to email 24/7.
They want to use ms outlook for everything. File management, document
storage, contact management, invoicing, you name it.
They don't want to learn anything. (that's our job)
They don't want to hear about security. (that's is our job)
They don't want to know what "Sorry, no mailbox here by that name"
means.
They will immediately presume there is something wrong with
their server.
They want to store items in the deleted items folder, indefinitely.
If they delete something they want you to drop everything and get it
back.
When I start to mention unix or Linux...dummy mode on. Same for comments
below. (See the BOFH)
Don't try to tell them that exchange is broken, and will not scale...
at all.
Don't try to tell them that it is slow because of the extraneous null
data outlook
sends to exchange in order to obfuscate the underlying messaging
protocols.
Don't try to explain why outlook is broken.
Don't try to explain the problems backing it up.
Don't explain the EULA, or the "open licensing" (read open checkbook,
and doors to BSA audit)
Perhaps an open source mail toaster is useful as a front end to
exchange.
Use it as a gateway,
Use it as a secondary mx.
(charge 'em some money per month for that, and just add them to
rcpthosts)
Use it to hold mail while you stop exchange for backups.
Use it to stop spam.
Use it to secure exchange.
Use it as a antivirus scanner.
Use it to drop on the roof of the BSA guy's beamer.
Then you pat them on the back; for being ahead of the curve for setting
up a "Million Message Per Day" mail server which protects them and
their network.
"It's a good thing we have the MMPD Crusher for when exchange goes
down." <sly grin>
This is cute:
http://www.mhp-interactive.org/people/steve/fun/sysadmin/mailerdaemon.ht
ml
Hope this helps...I feel better. Lol
Charles
