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.

There's no doubt that the SharePoint platform has evolved over time. From its highly technical and extraordinarily challenging early versions to the often seamless and intuitive SharePoint 2010, we've seen a great leap forward. Still, some companies have decided not to upgrade to SharePoint 2010 due to the migration process. A recent study showed, however, that adoption of the latest version is up and that more companies are considering use of cloud-based versions.

The study was conducted by Forrester and looked at 500 IT leaders. Among this more technically advanced cut of the field, 57% had adopted the most recent version of SharePoint (2010), despite the fairly new release of that product. Across all versions, 79% stated they were very satisfied with the service and 73% said the product meets the expectation of management. 75% reported that the IT staff were satisfied with the platform.

The most valuable tools for the companies surveyed were the collaboration tools and team sites / intranets, which saw a 78% and 73% satisfaction rating, respectively. The majority of respondents also indicated that they began using SharePoint with the "workloads" features, then moved into more advanced features over time.

Beyond an increased adoption rate for each subsequent version of SharePoint and an impressive 14-month migration rate for SharePoint 2010, the survey examined the question of alternate and upcoming versions. The big question was whether or not a cloud-based version of SharePoint was in the cards.

The majority of companies have considered using SharePoint in a cloud-based medium, with only 17% stating that they never considered using a cloud-based version. The remainder either have or are now considering the use of either SharePoint Online or the cloud-based version of SharePoint that accompanies the Microsoft Office 365 suite. However, only 19% of all respondents indicated that they are currently using a cloud-based version.

According to the study, SharePoint 2010 adoption should continue in full force while cloud-based versions will see increased growth in the years to come.