The Cloudy Email Trends and SharePoint

Today’s workforce is more mobile than ever, and this trend is both enabled and fueled by cloud-based services. However, organizations must strike a balance between supporting this increased mobility and safeguarding the company’s security. With current trends showing that enterprise groups are opting for cloud-based email, however, companies must make wise decisions about which platforms they use and how they secure their email services.

The Trend for Cloud-Based Email

Free webmail, popular as early as the late 90s, was the first iteration of cloud-based email. However, the lack of professionalism, features, and security convinced enterprise groups to choose non-cloud alternatives—until recently.

A study from SpiceWorks shows that in 2012 roughly 42% of companies were using a cloud-based email services. In 2013, that number increased to 46%. Further, 5% of respondents said they currently had on-site email but were planning on switching to a cloud service some time in the next six months.
These results indicate that by the end of the year the majority of U.S. companies will be using a cloud-based email service.

The Remaining Concerns for Hosted Email

Those who continue to resist cloud-based email cite a variety of reasons for this choice, with the most prominent being a lack of control (66% of respondents). More than half of respondents (56%) indicated that security and compliance were major concerns with cloud-based email.

Microsoft’s cloud-based service (Microsoft Exchange Online) is one of the two leading cloud services for enterprise (with Google Apps as the major competitor). One of the biggest advantages Microsoft has in this arena is the integration of Microsoft Exchange Online with the Microsoft SharePoint enterprise content management system.

In SharePoint 2013, file-sharing, email, and more are fully prepared to exist in the cloud. The integration of Lync, Exchange, Office 365, and SharePoint foreshadows Microsoft’s plan of action: Rather than competing at every individual level for enterprise clients, they will compete with a holistic package that provides a working whole rather than a collection of moving parts. This integrated approach also helps resolve concerns over compliance and security.

To learn more about how you can use SharePoint to improve your company’s approach to email or how you can better integrate Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint 2013, we encourage you to take advantage of a no-obligation consultation with SharePoint Engine.

Feel free to contact our sharepoint consulting firms team here.