Overview:
DSLExtreme was founded in 1999 and since then, has been a leading provider of Internet services and hosted Microsoft Exchange. They serve thousands of clients in 21 major areas across the country.
Pros: DSLExtreme offers users a 60-day trial and free set-up, which is practically unheard of in the industry. You also get a global address book, Outlook Mobile Access, anti-virus and anti-spam, task management and more. The Exchange accounts include shared calendars, Outlook Web Access, public folders, and automated set-up of mobile devices. As well, prices are incredibly low and extra storage prices aren’t that bad, either.
Cons: You only get the low price for three months (or six months for the standard mailboxes), then it jumps to $9.95 and up, which is about normal through the industry.
Detailed Provider Information:
Version of BES: (Microsoft, IBM Lotus Domino, Novell Group Wise) DSLExtreme uses Microsoft Exchange 2003.
Plans and Pricing: There are several packages for single users and for small businesses. For the single user, DSLExtreme offers a 1 GB mailbox for $4.95 for the first three months, $9.95 after that. For bigger businesses with more users, there are two different plans with four options for each plan.
The Business plans have a basic, personal, plus and extreme option. The basic option costs $2.99 a month for the first six months and then $3.99 afterwards. This includes 750 MB of storage, allocated between three email addresses. The personal option includes 10 mailboxes with 2.5 GB of storage between them. It costs $5.99 a month for the first six months, then $11.99 afterwards. The plus option is $39.99 a month and includes 100 mailboxes with 25 GB of storage between them. After 6 months, the price is $59.99 a month. Lastly, the extreme option is $399.99 a month for the first 6 months, and includes 1,000 mailboxes with 250 GB between them. After 6 months, you pay $599.99 a month.
The Small Office plans are very similar to the Business plans. The basic small office plan is $1.99 a month for the first 6 months and includes 300 MB allocated among 3 email addresses. After the 6 months are up, you pay $3.99 a month. The personal plan is $3.99 a month for the first 6 months and includes 10 email addresses with 1 GB of storage total. After 6 months, it’ll cost $7.99 a month. The plus plan is $39.99 a month for the first 6 months and includes 100 email addresses with 10 GB of storage total. When the 6 months are over, it’ll cost $74.99 a month. Finally, the extreme plan is $299.99 a month for the first 6 months and includes 1,000 email addresses with 100 GB of storage total. After 6 months, you’ll be shelling out $439.99 a month.
If you want to include an extra email address, it will cost $0.99 for all plans. DSLExtreme also offers BlackBerry Enterprise Service for $9.95 a mailbox. You will need a hosted exchange mailbox to order this, though.
Firewall Protection: DSLExtreme monitors your server and connections carefully 24/7 and employs network tools to make sure that your data remains safe.
Anti-Spam and Virus Protection: All plans include anti-virus and anti-spam protection as part of the service, for no extra charge.
Set-up Fee: There are no set-up fees at all, for any of their plans, including the BES.
Other Devices Supported: BlackBerry, Treo, and Windows Mobile 5.0 devices.
Customer Service: There is an online knowledge base and support links to help you with set-up and other problems. As well, you can also contact them by using their website or their phone number.
Backup History Storage: Regular backups are performed to make sure your data remains safe.
Uptime Guarantee: 99.9%, according to DSLExtreme’s SLA.
Additional Services: Along with Hosting services, DSL Extreme provides email archiving, DSL service, co-location and domain names.
Fee to Change BlackBerry for Current Customers: There is no charge for this service.
