More and more IT administrators are not sure what to look for and how to choose an anti-spam solution that is robust while diminishing the overhead work that is generated by their users. Should they choose a hosted email security and spam filtering service or an on premises email security solution? With the 
increase of spam and phishing messages, a reliable trustworthy solution is a must.
While there are multiple anti-spam products in the market that can protect employees from email spam and since many solutions have content filters that have almost the same catch rate, IT administrators are looking to find a an email security solution that meets their specific needs according to a variety of factors.
Let’s look at some of the considerations when choosing an anti-spam solution for Microsoft Exchange:
1 –Is it easy to install?
2 –Does the product require little management?
3 – How scalable is the product?
4 – Does it do the job?
5 – Is the product of superior quality? (Some flexibility is accorded to pricing)
6 – What level of support is provided from the vendor?
As an IT administrator you might have more than 6 items on your checklist but based on my 10 years of experience these points are of utmost importance when choosing an anti-spam solution that doesn’t just work, it protects everyone in the company.
Allow me to elaborate on each of the above points:
Email content filter that’s easy to install
An administrators time is extremely valuable every second counts! The last thing they need is a product that is complicated to install, understand and configure. The ideal product for an Admin is one where they can RUN the exe file, fill in one or two fields and voila!!
Anti-spam software that requires little management
Certain IT admins may not even be concerned with this depending on the business type and size, but for other organizations, this factor is very critical. Imagine a company or an ISP with over 2000 users where the admin is spending most of his/her day dealing with user requests – would you envy them? I didn’t think so. An ideal product in this case would be a product that can delegate a few tasks to the users themselves, as long as they don’t harm their work station or the entire organization i.e.: VIRUS
Scalability of the anti spam software
One of the worst things an administrator would want is a product that is very limited and one that would require a tremendous effort to accommodate corporate changes that are being applied. With that, be sure to have the answers to the following questions before you purchase a product:
A – How many users can it support? (This will give you an idea if you will be covered for the upcoming 3-5 years)
B – Does it work per license? (Scalability)
C – Do I pay per user account? (Compare with your budget)
D -Can I add/remove users if needed and what work is involved? (Flexibility of the product)
Feel free to ask them as many questions as you like but know that scalability is important to guarantee 3-5 years of peace of mind.
Effectiveness at stopping email spam
Testing out the product during a Trial run is the only way to find out if the product is effective.
Make a list of expectations for the product prior to your trial and evaluate the items against the trial after 3-5 days of intensive investigation. Since approximately 68% of our daily mail is spam, you’ll definitely have conclusive results after just a few days.
Superior Quality of an anti-spam solution
You may reach a point where you may have to pay more than planned to have a product that offers superior quality. However, if you have a product that consumes a minimum of 1 hour per day of your time to manage and your salary is at least $30/hour, you’re looking at spending an additional $7500/ year on that product (based on 250 working days per year). Therefore, pricing at this point should not be a big issue.
Email filtering software that comes with 24 / 7 support
You should not only test the product but also the support prior to purchasing a product. The level of support provided is not really known until you’ve had to contact your vendors support directly. From contacting them, you can gauge if it is Good/Best or simply Bad and it is best to do this during your trial period. If you do not, you may end up kicking yourself for being stuck with a product with poor support.
When you call to gauge their level of support, take note of the following:
A – How long did it take you to get a live person?
B – Was the technician empathetic?
C – Are you comfortable with the answers you received?
D – How far was the technician willing to go to fix the issue?
E – Were you treated as a valuable customer?
You can even try to challenge them with some deep questions to test their knowledge about the product
All of these points are important to help you pick the best product in the market. Don’t forget that there exists a lot of aggressive competition so do not settle for a vendor that does not make you feel like a valued client.
IT admins who know value and want the best, trust Vircom modusGate to protect their Exchange Server from Spam.
Want to know how Vircom can help you Stop Exchange Server Spam & Viruses? Take the following steps:
- Setup a Free 30 Day Evaluation and get Free Installation by Vircom’s MCSE Support!
- Call one of our engineering consultants at 1-888-484-7266. We promise to never pressure you into a decisions and will never try to “sell” you a product. We will only provide you with valuable information so that you can make an informative smart decision.We also speak your language. Not only will we speak IT with you but we can communicate in multiple languages such as English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew and Arabic
Sign up today and you’ll get:
- A link will be sent to your email to download a 30 day free trial of modusGate, an award-winning server-based solution.
- A member of Vircom’s Microsoft Certified Solutions Experts (MCSE) support team will then be in contact with you to make arrangements for professional installation of modusGate 30 day free trial at no charge to you.
Eliminate 99.7% Of Exchange Spam. Start using modusGate Now!
*Upon signing up and buying modusGate for one year. You’ll get 15 month of spam protection and MCSE support for the price of 12.
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