To keep businesses running smoothly, small businesses are increasingly deploying the same technologies larger competitors are using - despite their size. As such, organizations are paying closer attention to certain IP communications tools, including anti-virus protection and data storage, to keep their competitive pace and prevent trouble down the road, officials with a Lexington, Mass.-based developer of business-class messaging applications, said.

 

Renee Hewlett, Internet marketing specialist at Ipswitch - messaging division, said small businesses are becoming smarter about their email server needs. In an interview, printed in full below, Hewlett talked about how small and medium-sized businesses are using inexpensive and scalable Ipswitch (News - Alert) IMail Server products that  “do more with less.”

 

Hewlett also said the economic downturn has had little impact on the company’s direction. Ipswitch instead has seen an uptick in business, particularly among SMBs.

 

Our exchange follows.

 

 

RH: Small businesses require the same features and functionality in a mail server that larger companies do. However, they often times are working within a much smaller IT budget.  So it is imperative that they have options that “do more for less.” That is exactly what Ipswitch IMail Server products are about. We offer product quality and performance that is comparable to Exchange at approximately a tenth of the cost. IMail Server is easy to install and requires minimal maintenance. And if there ever is an issue, our customers are backed by our industry-leading technical support team. IMail Server is all about adding value to your IT infrastructure without crushing your budget. 

 

 

RH: IMail Express is specifically designed for the very small business. It offers all of the basics of a secure mail server and yet it’s scalable. So, as the business grows, IMail Server can grow with it. One of the best features of this product is that it’s free for up to ten users.  For a small business, every penny counts and IMail Express enables small businesses to get started for absolutely free. Another important benefit is that the customer can brand their email using the email domain. This allows small businesses to build their brand equity and establish a strong professional reputation. That’s key for a growing business. 

 

TMCnet: How can IMail Express help small businesses boost their professional image?

 

RH: The benefit of using your email domain to represent your company and brand instantly builds credibility and gives small businesses a competitive edge. And all at no cost for up to 10 users. You can’t beat that!

RH: In general, small businesses have to do business smarter. They typically have fewer resources to work with, both financially and from a personnel standpoint. So in an economic downturn when budgets get even smaller, eliminating overhead and finding value in IT solutions is imperative. Economy aside, many SMBs are moving away from larger enterprise mail servers that require a hefty initial investment and a great deal of technical expertise just to install. So it goes without saying that our product meets the needs of an SMB in any economy. 

TMCnet: How much has Ipswitch’s businesses grown over the last year? 

 

RH: Ipswitch has always focused on developing high-quality, low-cost software for the small-to-medium sized business. Have we seen growth over the past year? We have. We can attribute that to the number of medium-to-large sized businesses that are now being forced to do more with less. Our value proposition has always made sense to the SMB…but now the larger business sector is starting to take notice, as well.