Cloud Computing: BPOS Fun Facts

December 6, 2010 Leave a comment

I rummaged around the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) site on behalf of a customer over the weekend. The customer currently has an (aging) Exchange Server on-premises, and we’re all keen to eliminate the silicon (and the associated pains) therein.

Just what do you get from BPOS, you might ask? Besides getting out of managing your Exchange and SharePoint servers, it is suited for organizations that:

  • View messaging and collaboration as mission-critical.
  • Require security, reliability and access flexibility.
  • Want to avoid managing commodity IT functions in favor of focusing on strategic IT initiatives.

BPOS is sold on a per-user, monthly charge basis; $10 / user / month for the suite (present-day pricing; see current pricing on the home page). Exchange Online is $5 / user / month by itself, other ala carte pricing can be found on the BPOS Home Page.

Looking to do your own BPOS implementation? Microsoft has been most helpful in providing reams of documents to confirm you can use the service successfully.

The simple answer? If your organization is, or can host these servers on-premises, you can enjoy (celebrate) the advantages of hardware-free management and reliable uptime.

We’re sold; will capture and share our migration experience.

Filed under Cloud

About Michael Coates
I am a pragmatic evangelist. The products, services and solutions I write about fulfill real-world expectations and use cases. I stay up-to-date on real products I use and review, and share my thoughts here. I apply the same lens when designing an architecture, product or when writing papers. I am always looking for ways that technology can create or enhance a business opportunity .. not just technology for technology's sake. My CV says: Seasoned technology executive, leveraging years of experience with enterprise and integration architectural patterns, executed with healthy doses of business acumen and pragmatism. That's me. My web site says: Technology innovations provide a myriad of opportunities for businesses. That said, having the "latest and greatest" for its own sake isn't always a recipe for success. Business successes gained through exploiting innovation relies on analysis of how the new features will enhance your business followed by effective implementation. Goals vary far and wide: streamlining operations, improving customer experience, extending brand, and many more. In all cases, you must identify and collect the metrics you can apply to measure your success. Analysis must be holistic and balanced: business and operational needs must be considered when capitalizing on a new technology asset or opportunity.

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