Central information: Do you have multiple offices and need to access files, e-mails, contacts from each location?(i.e. Do you find yourself at one office wishing you had access to the computer in your second office because it has information on it that you need NOW?)
Mobility: Are you working from one office (or home) and are on the road all the time AND you need to be able to read your e-mails as they come in?Or do you need to access the information you have on your desktop computer at your office?
Up-to-the-minute syncing:Do you have one or more employees/co-workers who are on the go and need to share/collaborate schedules, e-mails, tasks, folders, etc. in real time?
Growth: Are you on the verge of hiring employees and are weighing the advantages of a mobile office versus moving to a larger office?
Team:Do you work with a team of people and find that you spend a lot of time and energy trying to find available dates and times for meetings? Or is a lot of time wasted and synergy lost due to lack of shared information and duplication of work?
Other:Are you in another situation where you can see this mobile technology enhancing and improving your business or lifestyle?
If you answered "YES" to at least one of the above questions, then go on to Part B:
B. Do you (and/or your team members) have the following skills/abilities/resources?
Desire to implement change and learn new ways of doing things
Comfortableness with technology (i.e. the computer), or lack of fear of technology
Ability to keep information up to date.(i.e. If all members of a team cannot keep their schedules current, then the integrity of a shared calendar is compromised.)
Time to invest in initial set-up (hardware/software) and training (varies depending on skill level of users).
Finances to purchase necessary hardware/software/training, as well as funds to support a monthly fee.Hardware and software costs will vary depending on the equipment you currently have (i.e. do you already have a handheld mobile device?). Monthly fees will vary based on the number of mailboxes and amount of memory required. (Can be as low as $35 per month.)
If you answered "YES" to everything in Part B, then read on. Think about the requirements of Microsoft Exchange as outlined in Part B.Now think about the potential benefits, keeping in mind that there are immediate benefits (like a savings in overhead costs if you’re choosing this route instead of opening up a new office), intangible benefits (such as team’s ability to work together in a more synergistic way), and delayed benefits (your ability to serve your customers better, faster, more efficiently, resulting in an increase in referred business for you).
Do the benefits outweigh the costs/requirements? If you answered “YES” to this final question, OR if you need help evaluating the cost/benefit ratio, then contact Akamai Information Management for a free initial consultation. We can help answer your questions, take inventory of all your needs, calculate costs, and hook you up with a hosted Exchange provider if you determine that this is the best solution for you.
