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Exchange 2010 uptake slowed by IT managers' migration fears
Microsoft's message about rapid ROI not fully allaying concerns
By Antony Savvas | Computerworld UK | Published 00:19, 29 September 10
IT managers are concerned about migrating to Exchange 2010, though most intend to do so, according to cloud-based email provider Mimecast.
Mimecast questioned 250 IT decision makers at large UK firms and found there were a number of concerns that had to be overcome about Microsoft Exchange 2010, before these managers felt confident enough to take the plunge and deploy the software.
Of the 250 firms questioned, 80% used Exchange, but only 8% of these had already gone over to Exchange 2010. The majority of organisations were using Exchange 2003 (55%) and Exchange 2007 (35%).
The research found that 77% of respondents were planning to upgrade, but most of these were expecting to experience "significant issues during migration". Of primary concern for IT departments were the server and operating system upgrades that the move to Microsoft Exchange 2010 will require, said Mimecast.
Replacing these legacy systems involves significant capital investment, and this is causing IT departments to stall, despite the significant savings that the switch to Exchange 2010 can bring, Mimecast said. Fear over disruption to the core business while migration takes place is another key concern.
When Microsoft launched Exchange 2010 last November it highlighted a study it commissioned from research analyst Forrester, which said companies could expect to recoup their costs of deployment within six months.
Only 12% of Exchange users were not planning an upgrade, with just 1% planning to move away from Exchange entirely.
Of those making the migration, 15% will make the move in the next six months, 38% in the next year, and 51% within the next eighteen months. The rest could not commit to a schedule.
Mimecast is hoping some of the IT managers fearful about migrating may look to its fully hosted email systems.
With its large message storage capacity, some experts are arguing that Exchange 2010 could prove to be the death knell for third party archiving providers.
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