Email – is it time to Outsource?
ITLP Group IV May 2006
Joanne Hallisey, MIT Joyce Dickerson, Stanford Mark Silis, MIT
Email – is it time to Outsource?
Review reasons outsourcing is becoming more practical
Assemble & analyze findings
Formulate recommendations
Evaluate process
Methodology used
Once a simple tool, email has evolved to a
complex, resource-intensive application demanding
integration & extended capabilities
Simple Email • Text-messages • Low volume • ASCII Business Messaging • Enterprise-caliber system • Security / Network protection • Scalability
• Features (integration, device access, Web interface, functionality, HTML, rich media attachments)
• Flexibility (faculty, staff, students, alumni, guests, etc.)
Cost/mailbox increasing
• Storage (file storage)
• Traffic (including SPAM & Virus management)
• Legacy hardware upgrades Complexity
• 24 x 7 customer support
As email has become more of a commodity, viable
outsourcing options are emerging
When does it make sense?
Outsource Communications
Services Outsource
Email & Web Access Email Appliance on own network Extent of Outsource • IBM Global Services • USA.net • Outblaze • Critical Path • Mirapoint • Power Elf Own System, Hosted Elsewhere Outsource Components (e.g. Spam & Virus) • Postini • MessageLabs
• Microsoft – Media Live • Google - gmail E xa m p le s
While the advantages of outsourcing are
increasing…
Infrastructure cost savings
Reduced staff support requirements
Potential ease of extending Email to a suite of
services
Vendor-managed spam and virus control
Industry-standard user interface
Vendor manages post-affiliation accounts with full
The disadvantages of outsourcing are significant…
Privacy concerns
Increased complexity and time in following up on
security incidents
Loss of overall control
Spam rules, customer service, costs
Ownership of email, esp. after leaving institution
Local skills become diluted or eliminated
Difficult to switch back if service is unsatisfactory
Complications integrating with campus offerings
Right answer depends on strategy, technology,
culture and market segmentation
Unique solution per educational institution – may
be a blend or a hybrid
Is it time to upgrade the current email infrastructure?
Can the users be segmented, and can they have different solutions? What are the cultural implications? How important is control of email?
Strategy: How does the outsource solution match
the university’s strategy?
Technical
service provider’s technology solutions
adherence to established standards and protocols
service provider’s infrastructure
system integration with university’s network infrastructure
frequency of system upgrades
system outage and upgrade notice
browsers supported
security mechanisms supported
Financial
cost per mailbox
Technology: Does the potential provider pass the
technology filter?
Data Storage
storage quota per mailbox
process and cost for
increasing quota
physical location of stored
data
retention of email after
deletion
Equipment and Location
data center location
uninterruptible power supply
redundant systems
24X7 staffing
adequate building security
expected planned and
unplanned downtime
Cultural: Does the potential provider understand
your university environment?
Security and Privacy
control of risk mitigation
secure log-on to email server
encrypted email
system intrusion protection
user privacy
scanning email content
sharing or selling user or
content information
retention of deleted
Cultural/Political
control of ownership of
business- critical email
change management/learning
curve
transition to the new system /
provider
support processes for end
users and technical staff
ads suppression and
associated costs
email restore
in the event of a system
failure
in the event of a user
Market: Segmentation can provide insight to the
solution – one size doesn’t fit all
Email core to their
work & research
Reliability, Integrity,
Security, Control
Email is a ‘perk’ – want
the vanity domain
Many forward to
existing email boxes
Flexibility, portability
--Keep it for life
Mobility important
Enterprise customers
Faculty, staff
Individual customers
Students, alumni, visitors
What we recommend … it depends
No simple solution
Depends on strategic, cultural and political forces
Need a decision framework
Weightings particular to each enterprise
For example…
•
Enterprise users
•
Want Email only
•
Architecture needs a complete upgrade
What we recommend … it depends
Email Appliance on own Network Own System, Hosted Elsewhere Outsource Components(eg Spam & Virus)
Outsource Email & Web
Access Outsource Email & Communicati ons Services Market Segmentation Enterprise Customers 1 1 1 0 0 Individual Customer 0 0 0 1 1 Market Needs
Clients demanding Integrated Business
Communications 0 1.5 1.5 1 1.5
Clients want email only 1 0.5 0.5 1.5 1
Technology Environment
Current Architecture Needs Complete Upgrade 1.5 0.5 0.5 1.5 1.5
Current Architecture Needs Partial Upgrade 1.5 0.5 1.5 0.5 0.5 Current Architecture Sufficient & Effective 0 1.5 1.5 0 0 Have technically talented staff to manage
system 0.5 0.5 1.5 0 0
Cultural Environment
Cultural Climate Receptive to Outsource -5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
Scenario 1: Good environment for in-house or component outsouce option
What we recommend … it depends
Email Appliance on own Network Own System, Hosted Elsewhere Outsource Components(eg Spam & Virus)
Outsource Email & Web
Access Outsource Email & Communicati ons Services Market Segmentation Enterprise Customers 1 1 1 0 0 Individual Customer 0 0 0 1 1 Market Needs
Clients demanding Integrated Business
Communications 0 1.5 1.5 1 1.5
Clients want email only 1 0.5 0.5 1.5 1
Technology Environment
Current Architecture Needs Complete Upgrade 1.5 0.5 0.5 1.5 1.5
Current Architecture Needs Partial Upgrade 1.5 0.5 1.5 0.5 0.5
Current Architecture Sufficient & Effective 0 1.5 1.5 0 0 Have technically talented staff to manage
system 0.5 0.5 1.5 0 0
Cultural Environment
Cultural Climate Receptive to Outsource -5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 Cultural Climate Resistant to Outsource 1.5 1.5 1.5 -5 -5
Scenario 2: Good environment for outsouce option
Project methodology needed to be straight-forward
and easily accessible, given our time restraints
Team brainstorm - we did a lot of this by
teleconference
Interviews with CIO’s and others
Collection of university data
Review of the data and research
Reach consensus on recommendations
Create presentation deck
Primary & secondary research were the main tools
we used
Primary Research
Stanford, MIT, Penn State
Core IT Alumni offices Residential computing Contacted vendors Microsoft Google
Secondary Research
Gartner Educause CIC: Big Ten+
Searched the Web
The lessons learned weren’t really a surprise to us
A good collaboration tool would be very useful for remote teams
integrated email, file storage, group editing, calendar/scheduling,
notifications, etc.
Assignment of roles - Smaller group was easier to coordinate without
specific role assignments.
There is never enough time.
It is not always easy to get hands on the data...is it easier for
CIO's?
Teleconference was a good tool, but schedules did not match well.
Lots of time was lost in missed meetings.
In the end, it all came together.
Filters vary from university to university, but not by that much.
Technology varies a lot.
Email – is it time to Outsource?
Joanne Hallisey, MIT Joyce Dickerson, Stanford Mark Silis, MIT
