Today there are many email and messaging choices for businesses to choose from. At first glance, choosing a cheaper or free email service may have its appeals. If you’re debating between Microsoft® Exchange and Google Apps Premier Edition, hopefully this information will help you see the differences between the two products for the business world.

Google created an easy and free solution for email and has made it suitable for the workplace. Gmail Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook allows you to use Outlook with Google Apps instead of Microsoft Exchange server. You can manage your email, contacts and calendar within the Microsoft Outlook interface. However, the Gmail Outlook connector does not support all of the Outlook features. Since they are not fully functional, you will have to go to the web client to do some things or some items will be dependent on your single install of Outlook.

Microsoft Exchange is definitely the more robust email option. Not only does Exchange have more features suitable for the workplace, but it also facilitates collaborative employee correspondence. These are a few features that will be missing with Google:

• Calendar sharing is limited with Gmail; attachments are stripped from appointments, so information could go missing
• Gmail users cannot use permissions and delegation to share mail or contact folder
• With Gmail, users can’t delegate permissions and access to others, such as administrative assistants

Security is also a prime concern for any business, and Microsoft has its advantages over Gmail in this area. Microsoft provides SSL by default, while Google SSL support varies by service. Encrypted mail is also included with Outlook, but it is an extra fee with Gmail. Google does not support Information Rights Management, which allows users to specify access to documents, workbooks, and presentations, to prevent sensitive information from being printed, forwarded, or copied by unauthorized people.

Additionally, Google does not provide the technical support that Hosted Exchange has for its customers. It also cannot provide Microsoft Office software, which is a common tool necessary to any business. Choosing to work with a Microsoft Partner will provide even more personalized support catered towards your business. Someone like Enterhost works with clients to assess their current needs and develop a plan for moving forward.

Overall, Microsoft Exchange offers more benefits and services to its users because it allows on-the-go access and team productivity with calendar sharing capabilities and task delegations. If you need a better way to communicate with other employees, then Microsoft Exchange is a more robust solution for businesses. For more info, watch Microsoft’s Exchange Overview.