This is the final installment of our five part series recommending against trying to run your email on your own server. The past postings have covered the advent of cost-effective broadband internet connections, the effects that SPAM has had on email, and the costs of both purchasing the server and paying a consultant to ensure that it continues to function smoothly.

This is part 3 of our 5 part series about email server usage at small and medium sized companies and organizations. We feel they just don't make sense. We have discussed the advent of high-speed and the effects of SPAM in past postings. In this posting, we'll discuss the costs of the hardware and software necessary to make this happen.

Of course, if you want to run your own server, you need a machine that can handle this. The typical server will start as low as $1000 for the hardware, but you will likely add another $1000 in paying for the operating system and the software that processes your mail. This software will need to be updated regularly to make sure it remains secure. Of course, the real expense is that you are paying someone to handle these updates.

If you are lucky: the hardware will last you 3 years with no major down-time or upgrades.

For now, let's ignore the costs of paying people to update things. With the server cost alone, you are looking at $2000 for a 3 year period.

That's more than $50/month without taking maintenance (or interest) into account. It also doesn't take into account the $80/month per employee lost in time wasted by SPAM junkmail. If your staff make more than $10/hr, your costs are higher.

If your organization uses fewer than 50 email accounts, you will have already saved money by getting these email accounts from Green Bay Net. You will have less junkmail, fewer problems, and access to expert assistance if questions arise.

• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 1 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 2 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 3 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 4 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 5 of 5)

In part 1 of this series, we discussed reasons why affordable broadband has eliminated one of the primary needs for a local mail server. In part two, we will discuss SPAM and it's effects on how mail is transferred from server to server.

In the past, one server would send to another. As long as the email domain and username matched with the server, the message was delivered to the user's inbox. With the advent of junkmail, systems administrators had to put plans in place to prevent some email from being allowed.

The senders of this "spam" junkmail changed tactics, and the administrators had to adjust for it. This continued until now the typical server has multiple layers of junk controls and administrators are forced to become familiar with odd procedures such as Yahoo DomainKeys, Bayesian filtering, SPF, reverse lookups - and dozens or hundreds of other minute technical details.

A mail server that was configured 5 years ago and has gone unchanged is either non-functional, or delivers so much SPAM to people that it's useless. The alternative is to pay a "consultant" or a full-time staff member who knows what they are doing to make the adjustments over the years. This is both expensive and difficult for the common business person.

The answer is to get your email from Green Bay Net. We are already maintaining email for thousands of users. Because of this, we can offer email with all of the benefits of your local mail server and none of the downsides.

• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 1 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 2 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 3 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 4 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 5 of 5)

Ten years ago, when high-speed connectivity meant a T1 line and cost over $1000 per month, having a local email server made sense. Most small businesses didn't have a high-speed Internet connection. Having the email server on the premises allowed internal email to flow quickly. Incoming and outgoing email seemed fast because it got to and from the on-premises server quickly. Who cared if it takes a few minutes from there? It "felt" fast.

Today, DSL is in the $25/mo range. Personalized email addresses AT YOUR COMPANY'S domain cost as little as $1 per address per month! It no longer makes sense to purchase and maintain a server locally.

Your Internet connection is fast enough that email messages are delivered to the end recipient immediately. Receiving is equally fast! This means that email can be immediate even though you don't have a box to point to in the office and say "that's where the email is."

Having your email server there is just costing you time and money. We will get into some of the specifics of problems and costs associated with your on-site server in future posts.

• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 1 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 2 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 3 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 4 of 5)
• Don't Run Your Own Email Server! (Part 5 of 5)