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billgates

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#728542 7-Dec-2012 14:15

Google apps for businesses is not free anymore as of today. The free service which allowed you to have 10 users has now been removed and it's simply USD$50/user for any business customer. existing customers get to retain their service. only 1 free personal gmail/google account is now allowed via google apps.

http://googleenterprise.blogspot.in/2012/12/changes-to-google-apps-for-businesses.html

Do whatever you want to do man.

mattwnz

20141 posts

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#728568 7-Dec-2012 14:25

billgates: Google apps for businesses is not free anymore as of today. The free service which allowed you to have 10 users has now been removed and it's simply USD$50/user for any business customer. existing customers get to retain their service. only 1 free personal gmail/google account is now allowed via google apps.

http://googleenterprise.blogspot.in/2012/12/changes-to-google-apps-for-businesses.html

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That works out as quite expensive if you have many accounts. There are cheaper email providers that give you unlinited email accounts for a set price these days.

wongtop

563 posts

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#728571 7-Dec-2012 14:29

billgates: Google apps for businesses is not free anymore as of today. The free service which allowed you to have 10 users has now been removed and it's simply USD$50/user for any business customer. existing customers get to retain their service. only 1 free personal gmail/google account is now allowed via google apps.

http://googleenterprise.blogspot.in/2012/12/changes-to-google-apps-for-businesses.html

That's a bit stink. Glad I got it when it was at least 10 users, but I believe the free limit was even higher (100 or 1000) previously. windows live domains looks the best option for people setting up now.

billgates

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#728572 7-Dec-2012 14:31

Google apps started off with 50 free account AFAIK, then reduced to 10 and now this. I have 2 emails hosted with Windows live domains under same outlook/hotmail account for management and it's free. I hope MS keeps it free.

Do whatever you want to do man.

nzkiwiman

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#913509 11-Oct-2013 10:26

Ok, this is old but rather than starting a new topic asking the same questions I thought I should just bump and see if I can get some updated information.

After many delays and just generally not doing anything, I have finally come up with a domain name that is not in use by anyone and gets the tick of approval from my parents who I am wanting to transfer over with me (they use my ISP mail)

Requirements
2 separate email address - mine and one for my parents (so 2 users)
Able to view emails on Office 2010/2013 but also using Mail on Mac OS 10.7.x (for my parents)

I was pretty set on using Exchange Online for $5.10 per user/month (plus GST?) but as always the Microsoft Website has changed and seems to have lumped in Exchange Online with Exchange 2013 that you would install in a business and finding help/support seems hard.
- Can Mail on a Macbook Pro be used to view the emails, or would my parents have to use the web interface to view the emails they would receive (Outlook for Mac 2011 is also an option as it is installed on the Mac but not used)

Office365 at $6.40 a month seems to be the same (but may add functionality that I dont need) but seems to have the requirement of being used with Office 2010/2013 and Office for Mac 2011. Am I correct on this?

Lastly, Outlook.com is free but does it allow you to either view or download emails into Office 2010/2013 or is it purely web browser viewing only?

So many questions, thanks to those that can answer

timmmay

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#913588 11-Oct-2013 13:07

http://www.FastMail.fm

Or standard web hosting and create accounts, though I recommend a specialist web host. Thread here.

paulb001

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#913631 11-Oct-2013 13:38

Hi nzkiwiman, please see comments inline:

Requirements

2 separate email address - mine and one for my parents (so 2 users)

Able to view emails on Office 2010/2013 but also using Mail on Mac OS 10.7.x (for my parents)

I was pretty set on using Exchange Online for $5.10 per user/month (plus GST?) but as always the Microsoft Website has changed and seems to have lumped in Exchange Online with Exchange 2013 that you would install in a business and finding help/support seems hard.

Exchange Online is $5.10 per user, you would buy 2 user licenses for your above stated requirement but you can create a custom domain for this and have as many email alias as you like. You get 50gb storage per mailbox. More info at:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-nz/exchange/microsoft-exchange-online-email-for-business-FX103739072.aspx

- Can Mail on a Macbook Pro be used to view the emails, or would my parents have to use the web interface to view the emails they would receive (Outlook for Mac 2011 is also an option as it is installed on the Mac but not used)
Any mail client that supports exchange connectivity or Exchange active sync can connect and sync mail with your exchange online account. We also support pop and Imap protocols and have Outlook Web app mobile clients as well.

Office365 at $6.40 a month seems to be the same (but may add functionality that I dont need) but seems to have the requirement of being used with Office 2010/2013 and Office for Mac 2011. Am I correct on this?
Office365 for Small Business includes: Exchange, Sharepoint and Lync, and if you get the premium version it comes with Office ProPlus as well (this is the best way to buy Office now, as it allows you to install on 5 devices/PC's plus Office mobile for WinPhone, Android and iphone, and OWA for Ios as well. You get 50gbs of mail storage and 25gb of file storage at sharepoint.com. You can connect to this as per Exchange online. More info at:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-nz/business/office-365-small-business-premium-office-online-FX103037625.aspx

Lastly, Outlook.com is free but does it allow you to either view or download emails into Office 2010/2013 or is it purely web browser viewing only?

Yes, you can access Outlook.com via a browser or via the mobile apps, or via Outlook.

Paul Bowkett
Microsoft New Zealand
http://microsoft365.com
http://twitter.com/paulbowkett
http://linkedin.com/in/paulbowkett

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nzkiwiman

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#913699 11-Oct-2013 15:02

Many thanks Paul for the updated answers.
When I come back from my holiday I shall have to secure the domain name and then sign up and start the migration process.

nzkiwiman

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#927445 5-Nov-2013 09:51

Domain Name secured
Custom Domain setup at Outlook.com
First email account setup and connected
Outlook 2010 at home connected to new email
Outlook.com app installed on Android and working

Am having trouble with configuring an alias - want to point all my subscriptions to an email address such as subscriptions@[domainname.co.nz] but cant seem to get it to work - either the address is in use, or I cant verify that I own the address

nunz

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#929649 8-Nov-2013 18:16

amanzi: The two big players are Google and Microsoft. You can get Google Apps for free or pay US$50 per year for the business version which includes extra functionality. Microsoft has Office 365 which starts at just under NZ$10 per month. There are many others, but personally I would only recommend looking at these two.
Both provide 25GB mailboxes and give you access from just about any device. Google Apps has some extra benefits in that it links in with heaps of other online services. Main benefit of Office 365 is that it's Exchange-based and some people prefer this.

Respectfully i would have to disagree

i picked up a client who is using office365 / exchange. Its crap. Limited functionality in managing users, limited functionality compared to real exchange, slow servers, lots of unavailable moments when exchange cant be connected to and problems with security tokens not flowing through systems in a timely fashion. don't even get me started on shared calenders. aarrgghh!!!!

Below is an excerpt from my request for help with one of our users who cannot log in via web or outlook , we had reset passwords twice, waited 30 minutes etc. Christine is M$ Support

Cristine N: at 17:47:39 - I have been informed that you need to visit admin.live.com, and log in there,you may ask for support on the said page. As of the moment they do not have a live support on their department.

Cristine N: at 17:47:54 - *or domains.live.com.

shane hollis: at 17:48:44 As a suggestion - if microsoft is selling a "business level" service then surely they should supply business level support?

Cristine N: at 17:48:56 - Also you may post your concern on the community forums, the link is answers.microsoft.com.

Cristine N: at 17:49:59 - I do apologize for the inconvenience, as of the moment Microsoft is currently working in finding ways to make your customer experience better.

shane hollis: at 17:50:57 thanks anyway - its just confirmed what we already were heading towards. interderminate connectivity, slow response from the servers, two weeks without email last year with server issues in singapore, limited functionality ... we will be migrating away.

Basically if you need support you are pushed to community forums and the same level of support as free users at live.com.

With Google you get a better experience in terms of integration with mobile and the servers are faster.

however - do you really want your email on third party servers, in other countries with different search and seizure laws? Google acknowledges they are searched by law enforcement regularly, microsoft have patents allowing law enforcement to snoop man in the middle style without your knowledge on both voice mail and web services.

Discount Domain (www.discountdomains.co.nz) will let you sign up for free, have redundent servers in chch, auckland etc, do a good job of spam filtering, and for a small fee will allow you to have up to 10 mail boxes with unlimited aliasing.
Sitehost.co.nz - again great service - good people.
Digiweb.co.nz, affiliated with discountdomains and offer exchange servers.
openhost.co.nz

Support NZ businesses - they are your neighbours, provide good service, can be talked to and you an look them in the eye in their offices. cloud sucks the big one and in Nz we haven't even begun to think about the ramifications of putting our data on over seas servers, the entrapment of using advertising services such as Google to host email and the hegemony of apple, Google, Microsoft that's destroying choice, freedom and dumbing down services.

Thus endeth my rant.

Ps did i mention your xtra email is now on Thailand based servers? - What the heck?

networkn

Networkn
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#929673 8-Nov-2013 19:08

nunz:
amanzi: The two big players are Google and Microsoft. You can get Google Apps for free or pay US$50 per year for the business version which includes extra functionality. Microsoft has Office 365 which starts at just under NZ$10 per month. There are many others, but personally I would only recommend looking at these two.
Both provide 25GB mailboxes and give you access from just about any device. Google Apps has some extra benefits in that it links in with heaps of other online services. Main benefit of Office 365 is that it's Exchange-based and some people prefer this.

Respectfully i would have to disagree

i picked up a client who is using office365 / exchange. Its crap. Limited functionality in managing users, limited functionality compared to real exchange, slow servers, lots of unavailable moments when exchange cant be connected to and problems with security tokens not flowing through systems in a timely fashion. don't even get me started on shared calenders. aarrgghh!!!!

Below is an excerpt from my request for help with one of our users who cannot log in via web or outlook , we had reset passwords twice, waited 30 minutes etc. Christine is M$ Support

Cristine N: at 17:47:39 - I have been informed that you need to visit admin.live.com, and log in there,you may ask for support on the said page. As of the moment they do not have a live support on their department.

Cristine N: at 17:47:54 - *or domains.live.com.

shane hollis: at 17:48:44 As a suggestion - if microsoft is selling a "business level" service then surely they should supply business level support?

Cristine N: at 17:48:56 - Also you may post your concern on the community forums, the link is answers.microsoft.com.

Cristine N: at 17:49:59 - I do apologize for the inconvenience, as of the moment Microsoft is currently working in finding ways to make your customer experience better.
shane hollis: at 17:50:57 thanks anyway - its just confirmed what we already were heading towards. interderminate connectivity, slow response from the servers, two weeks without email last year with server issues in singapore, limited functionality ... we will be migrating away.

Basically if you need support you are pushed to community forums and the same level of support as free users at live.com.

With Google you get a better experience in terms of integration with mobile and the servers are faster.

however - do you really want your email on third party servers, in other countries with different search and seizure laws? Google acknowledges they are searched by law enforcement regularly, microsoft have patents allowing law enforcement to snoop man in the middle style without your knowledge on both voice mail and web services.

Discount Domain (www.discountdomains.co.nz) will let you sign up for free, have redundent servers in chch, auckland etc, do a good job of spam filtering, and for a small fee will allow you to have up to 10 mail boxes with unlimited aliasing.
Sitehost.co.nz - again great service - good people.
Digiweb.co.nz, affiliated with discountdomains and offer exchange servers.
openhost.co.nz

Support NZ businesses - they are your neighbours, provide good service, can be talked to and you an look them in the eye in their offices. cloud sucks the big one and in Nz we haven't even begun to think about the ramifications of putting our data on over seas servers, the entrapment of using advertising services such as Google to host email and the hegemony of apple, Google, Microsoft that's destroying choice, freedom and dumbing down services.

Thus endeth my rant.

Ps did i mention your xtra email is now on Thailand based servers? - What the heck?

Wow this almost identically replicates the times customers have insisted on moving to Cloud email services. Support is terrible.

Our very small customers are now being setup with OneNet. I have tried most of the other providers and they aren't worth the time spent filling out the forms, by comparison I've never had even the slightest issue with OneNet.

I highly recommend them IF you want cloud based email, but I just can't recommend not doing it, enough :)

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