Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
Lawrence Tse - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder, Professional Services Director, Lead Architect at Falcon Consulting
Real User
Top 20
Can track messages and protects user data
Pros and Cons
  • "We've been using Exchange as an email platform. Our clients require multi-country, multi-regional email collaboration with controlled mail flow. The most valuable feature is the capability of message tracking and the protection of user data."
  • "I would like to see Microsoft Exchange improve their documentation."

What is our primary use case?

We are a consulting company. We deploy Microsoft Exchange. One of our clients has been working with a file drive endpoint with Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft 365 Exchange. We use the latest version, which is a hybrid platform with Microsoft 365. I also work with departments in the government that use the solution for email purposes.

The maximum number of users that I am working with is approximately 20,000 users at a time. 

What is most valuable?

We've been using Exchange as an email platform. Our clients require multi-country, multi-regional email collaboration with controlled mail flow. The most valuable feature is the capability of message tracking and the protection of user data.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see Microsoft Exchange improve its documentation. The legacy version of the solution had very accurate product documentation. Also, they had very good training courses. Recently, as Microsoft has been frequently adding new features, the documentation has not been as detailed. This means that we need to spend more time making use of our own experience to tackle some problems.

New users will need help from technical professionals. There are not many people in the market that have in-depth knowledge of the product. The documentation for Microsoft Exchange is scattered, poorly organized, and often incomplete.

Due to the lack of adequate documentation, users cannot determine the optimal way to operate the system and end up crashing the product. Unfortunately, many of them do not seek help as they are unwilling to pay Microsoft the high cost of professional services.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Microsoft  Exchange for twenty-three years. 

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,825 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Exchange has been in the market for more than twenty-five years. It is a stable, mature product. Any concerns with stability usually have to do with the fact that the user is not using the product in the correct manner because Microsoft did not teach them how to operate the solution correctly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

As long as you have a good plan, Microsoft Exchange can scale very well. However, the solution does consume a lot of web resources if deployed on physical hardware or on VMware. For example, I have an organization that has 200 users and Microsoft has eaten up more than 100 gigabytes of memory.

If you use Microsoft Hyper-V, the scalability is good. 

How are customer service and support?

It is not unusual that when you implement the solution and you need information, you can not find it, or it is not very detailed. You will then need to engage with the Microsoft support team. You will need to spend a lot of time making use of your own experience to tackle some problems.

Microsoft charges very expensive professional fees for support services. Unfortunately, the quality of support is very low. They are not grooming sufficient people to support the end-users.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Microsoft Exchange is not complicated. However, if you need to set it up to work in harmony with any other program, you need a very in-depth understanding of the platform. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing costs for Microsoft Exchange have increased, but are still fair. For some users, the cost is high considering the number of functions and features they will use. 

What other advice do I have?

The advice I would give to anyone considering this solution would be to use the latest online version. It is the only way to get quality support when you encounter any type of problem.

If you are not going to use all of the functions and features and only require primitive functions, this solution may be too expensive. When you consider the cost in terms of storage when you are leveraging the online version of Microsoft Exchange, it is quite a good investment.

When considering just the product itself, I would rate Microsoft Exchange a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
IT Coordinator at a retailer with 11-50 employees
Real User
Integrates with anything and on-premises availability helps avoid extra charges
Pros and Cons
  • "It's pretty easy to manage."
  • "It is costly, so it depends on how much you want to pay."

What is our primary use case?

It is to run our mail server.

What is most valuable?

It's really just been the same for a decade now. I don't think they've really updated anything in a long time.

I like that we can still use it on-premise. Then, we don't have to pay the extra subscription fees for the cloud.

It integrates with anything really, to be honest, besides other Microsoft products.

There are AI-based features, but we don't use it.

What needs improvement?

We don't use Exchange for a lot of stuff, so there's not a lot to improve.

The interface could look a little more nicer, but other than that, it's fine. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for more than ten years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I haven't had to scale it at all. We've been running about the same amount of people for a long time.

It is used by around 100 end users. Just one person is required to maintain it for a hundred users, so we outsource that to an MSP.

They're helpful and easy to deal with.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We bought it years ago.  

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Microsoft Exchange to others because it's pretty easy to manage. However, it is costly, so it depends on how much you want to pay.

Overall, I would rate it a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,825 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Zülfikar Erdem - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Support Specialist at Wagner Kablo A.S.
Real User
Top 20
Easy-to-install platform with valuable collaboration features
Pros and Cons
  • "The technical support services are good."
  • "The platform could be more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We use the platform to facilitate email traffic, file transfer, security services, and rule policies.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Exchange is a user-friendly product with efficient features for mail services and DNS registration.

What needs improvement?

The platform could be more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Microsoft Exchange for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The service is stable. I rate the stability a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 132 Microsoft Exchange users in our organization. It has a good scalability.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support services are good. The team answers the tickets immediately.

How was the initial setup?

The product is easy to install and deploy. The development steps included creating DNS records, followed by synchronizing with the Active Directory and facilitating user logins.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the platform with the help of our in-house team.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Microsoft Exchange is an inexpensive application.

What other advice do I have?

The product, Microsoft Exchange, has significantly impacted our team's collaboration by utilizing hybrid directory functionality. We can integrate it with Teams, Calendar, and SharePoint providing simultaneous access for the users. It has effective calendar functionality improving scheduling efficiency. It offers various security-level templates, allowing administrators to tailor security policies based on specific organizational needs.

It is a stable service. It has a knowledgeable technical support team as well. I rate it a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
CTO at Numo Capital Holdings
Real User
A highly scalable solution that offers multiple functionalities to its users
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a very stable tool...It is a very scalable tool."
  • "In terms of Microsoft Exchange, I think maybe what can be done is to make it more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution in our company for emails, calendars, requests, and tasks.

What is most valuable?

The exchange of emails is its most valuable feature.

What needs improvement?

I'm a user for the time being. I'm not an administrator who is managing the server. I was an administrator fifteen years ago. But today, I'm just a simple user using the solution for emails.

We had an antivirus like Sophos to secure our network. In terms of Microsoft Exchange, I think maybe what can be done is to make it more user-friendly. Also, Microsoft should make it more like a web version.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Exchange for a very long time. Currently, we are on the cloud version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a very stable tool.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a very scalable tool. In my last company, the solution had more than five thousand users. Now, thirty users use the solution. Considering the upcoming year, there are no plans to increase its usage.

How are customer service and support?

I am not seeking any help from technical support because we speak with our own technical staff.

How was the initial setup?

As a user, we don't get involved in the setup process. We need to connect it using the email address. It takes a minute to deploy it. I can do the deployment by myself.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Since my company is on Microsoft Cloud, we pay for the licenses per user. Compared to volume licensing, I would say the present licensing cost is not expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend others planning to use the solution to use it. I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2024649 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT-Manager / Finanzbuchhaltung / Personalwesen at a manufacturing company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Offers stability and easy integration with other Microsoft products, but needs to use less resources and be more reasonably priced
Pros and Cons
  • "It's user-friendly."

    What is our primary use case?

    I use this solution for my email and calendar. 

    How has it helped my organization?

    Because of this solution we have better integration with other Microsoft Office solutions. 

    What is most valuable?

    It's user-friendly. 

    What needs improvement?

    The solution needs a lot of resources to run efficiently. It would be nice if it used less resources to run on-premise.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with this solution for about five years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We have not had any problems with the stability of the solution. I would give it a nine out of ten. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is scalable. There are about 70 users working with it on a daily basis in our organization. 

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    Previously, we used Scalix. We switched to Microsoft Exchange for easier integration and better stability. 

    How was the initial setup?

    It was a little bit complex to set up, so we had to get external help. 

    What about the implementation team?

    A third-party did the deployment, and it took about two days. 

    What was our ROI?

    This is a time-saving solution. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    This solution is expensive. On a scale of one to ten, where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate it a four. 

    What other advice do I have?

    Overall, I rate this solution as a seven out of ten. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Misba Ishfaq - PeerSpot reviewer
    Client Relationship Manager at Capgemini
    Real User
    Reliable, scalable, and easy implementation
    Pros and Cons
    • "Microsoft Exchange is stable."
    • "The price of Microsoft Exchange could improve, it is priced high."

    What is our primary use case?

    I use Microsoft Exchange for their email service for my personal use.

    What needs improvement?

    The price of Microsoft Exchange could improve, it is priced high.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Microsoft Exchange for approximately 10 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Microsoft Exchange is stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I have found Microsoft Exchange to be scalable.

    How are customer service and support?

    I have not contacted Microsofts technical support.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation of Microsoft Exchange is easy.

    What about the implementation team?

    Our technical team did the implementation of the solution.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    There is an annual cost to use Microsoft Exchange, and the price could be less expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend Microsoft Exchange to others.

    I rate Microsoft Exchange an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1229187 - PeerSpot reviewer
    General Manager - IT at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    It's a robust system that's suitable for a large enterprise environment
    Pros and Cons
    • "Exchange is a robust system that is well suited for an enterprise environment. It's always up, and we hardly face any technical issues. Exchange has a web interface and integrates perfectly with Microsoft Outlook. This web interface can be easily used to change the passwords from the domain controllers."
    • "Microsoft needs to make some modifications to meet the current needs of the environment. For example, they need to add more cell service features because people work from home during the pandemic, and certain elements should be available as a mobile service."

    What is our primary use case?

    Exchange is an email solution. It is widely used in our organization.

    What is most valuable?

    Exchange is a robust system that is well suited for an enterprise environment. It's always up, and we hardly face any technical issues. Exchange has a web interface and integrates perfectly with Microsoft Outlook. This web interface can be easily used to change the passwords from the domain controllers. 

    What needs improvement?

    Microsoft needs to make some modifications to meet the current needs of the environment. For example, they need to add more cell service features because people work from home during the pandemic, and certain elements should be available as a mobile service.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using Exchange for many years now. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Microsoft Exchange is highly stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    You can scale it horizontally by adding several servers behind the load balancer if you want. We have more than 20,000 users.

    How are customer service and support?

    We contacted Microsoft about an issue a while back, but it was so long ago, I can't remember what the problem was.

    How was the initial setup?

    Installing Microsoft Exchange is straightforward. The conversion takes time, but the installation itself takes less than two hours. The total deployment time depends on what you want to do, i.e., how many servers you want to configure, the structure of your domain controllers, etc. We have four team members for deployment and maintenance. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We have an enterprise agreement with a five-year contract.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Microsoft Exchange eight out of 10. Exchange has a cloud solution also, so depending on the count of users, you can decide whether to use the on-premise or cloud version.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    CJ Aulisa - PeerSpot reviewer
    Contact Center Consultant at okiBoe Group
    Real User
    Top 20
    Pleasant desktop interface, great support, and reliable
    Pros and Cons
    • "I find the desktop version of Microsoft Exchange looks better than the online version. You can make it a white background. You might be able to make the online background white, but I have no idea how to do that. I know how to do it only on the desktop version"
    • "The desktop version of Microsoft Exchange receives emails a little slower than the online version."

    What is our primary use case?

    I am using Microsoft Exchange for emails. For example, here's my email address, call me, or email me and I'll email you. I don't use it for any marketing emails.

    What is most valuable?

    I find the desktop version of Microsoft Exchange looks better than the online version. You can make it a white background. You might be able to make the online background white, but I have no idea how to do that. I know how to do it only on the desktop version

    What needs improvement?

    The desktop version of Microsoft Exchange receives emails a little slower than the online version. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used Microsoft Exchange within the last 12 months.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability of the solution is good.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I haven't run into any scalability problems. However, I've run into several large multinational companies that I know do run into issues, and they have to merge two separate something together.

    How are customer service and support?

    Microsoft support is very good. I did recently have an issue the other day.  The solution was asking me for my password, and I put it in and it didn't recognize it, and I was getting really frustrated. I called Microsoft support, spoke to a person, they had me download a tool,- for data checking, and it fixed it. Whatever it did, it fixed the problem. I had a good experience. 

    They are responsive and helpful, if you're only one user and not their biggest customer, they still give you good support.

    How was the initial setup?

    I have implemented the solution for my system and it is easy. I have not done so for a company. I just download it and run it, that is all.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I have Outlook 365 Professional, and Exchange comes in the bundle with other solutions, such as Word and OneDrive. I pay for the use of the bundle monthly and I can imagine if you are a company with many licenses the pricing model would be a lot different.

    What other advice do I have?

    I do not see Microsoft having any competition in the market. They appear to be dominating.

    I rate Microsoft Exchange a ten out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Microsoft Exchange Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: June 2025
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Microsoft Exchange Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.