HostPro Inc., the Internet and Web hosting subsidiary of Micron Electronics Inc. (Nasdaq:MUEI), Tuesday (March 6) announced the availability of HostPro Advanced Messaging, an Internet-based hosted application service based on Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server and Microsoft Outlook 2000, the world’s leading messaging and collaboration solution.
HostPro Advanced Messaging, the company’s first hosted application service, provides managed messaging integrated with Microsoft Outlook features on a monthly service basis.
“Today’s small and mid-size companies are battling to gain a competitive edge and move at Internet speed. With the power of computing moving from the desktop to the network, small and medium businesses are best positioned to compete by embracing outsourced infrastructure and hosted software applications,” said Joel Kocher, HostPro CEO.
HostPro Advanced Messaging is a cost-effective way to deliver enterprise-class software that would otherwise be installed on a desktop or internal network, which can be costly to set up and maintain. HostPro Advanced Messaging is offered as a rented application requiring no up-front investment, complex installation or set up time.
In a simple cost comparison between an internally managed messaging system (including server, platform and email client), based on standard equipment and licensing charges and a mid-level system administrator, a business with 100 employees can save approximately $20,000 on up-front costs and approximately $3,000 per month, thereafter, on maintenance and management.
By significantly reducing costs associated with hardware purchasing, maintenance, software upgrades, and technical support, customers can better focus on their core competencies while leveraging leading-edge technology and benefiting from the latest on-line communication and collaboration tools.
“Outsourcing the hosting and maintenance of resource-hungry business applications such as messaging is an excellent financial strategy that can free up IT departments to focus on projects that increase the bottom line,” said Karen Moser, senior analyst in the ASP Program at IDC, a global IT research and consulting firm. “For small and medium businesses, outsourcing applications, such as messaging, allows them to deploy solutions that were previously available only to enterprises with big IT departments and budgets.”
