Moving your business email to the cloud means hosting your email services on servers managed by a third-party provider, rather than running your own email servers on-site. This approach lets you access email through the internet, often with added features like automatic updates, spam filtering, and mobile access. For many Australian small and mid-sized businesses, cloud email can simplify management and improve reliability.
Why this matters for Australian SMBs
Email is a critical communication tool for any business. If your email system goes down, your team can't send or receive messages, which disrupts operations and can delay customer responses. On-premises email servers can be costly to maintain and vulnerable to hardware failures or cyberattacks. Cloud email providers typically offer high availability, meaning less downtime, and include built-in security measures to help protect against phishing and malware.
Additionally, cloud email services often comply with Australian data privacy standards, helping you meet customer expectations around data protection. Having your email in the cloud also supports remote work, as staff can access their inboxes securely from anywhere, boosting productivity.
A practical example
Consider a 50-employee Australian marketing agency running an on-site email server. One day, a hardware failure causes their email server to crash, and without a recent backup, they lose several days' worth of emails. The downtime lasts two days, during which client communications stall, causing frustration and missed deadlines. After this, they work with a managed IT provider to migrate their email to a cloud service with automatic backups, built-in security, and guaranteed uptime. This move reduces future risks and frees their internal IT resources from server maintenance.
Checklist: What to consider when moving email to the cloud
- Ask your IT provider: What cloud email platforms do you support? How do they handle data backups and disaster recovery?
- Security features: Does the service include spam filtering, malware scanning, and multi-factor authentication?
- Data location and compliance: Where are the email servers located? Do they comply with Australian privacy regulations?
- Service level agreements (SLAs): What uptime guarantees are provided? How quickly is support available if issues arise?
- Migration plan: How will existing emails and contacts be migrated? What is the expected downtime during the move?
- Access controls: Can you manage user permissions and monitor access logs?
- Internal checks: Review your current email usage patterns and storage needs to choose the right plan; verify your current password policies and consider strengthening them.
Next steps
Deciding whether to move your business email to the cloud depends on your current setup, budget, and business priorities. Speaking with a trusted managed IT provider can help clarify the benefits and challenges specific to your situation. They can guide you through evaluating options, planning a migration, and managing ongoing support to ensure your email system remains reliable, secure, and aligned with your business needs.