Based on Microsoft Exchange platform, BSNL Managed Business Mail moves beyond conventional email options to empower businesses with tools to increase productivity, mobility and collaboration at an affordable monthly fee.  This will provide a range of services for businesses across enterprise, SMBs and Public Sector segments to enhance communication coordination by enabling them to share email messages, contacts, calendars, task lists and documents from any device (PC or mobile phone).

The partnership and launch marks BSNL’s foray into managed business solutions based on the SaaS model. Since this service will be delivered via the Internet - users will save on upfront costs related to hardware, licenses and installation for their IT infrastructure.  Business owners will also be able to focus on their core business tasks – without any disruptions and distractions pertaining to IT headaches like security patches, software updates, monitoring and backups. In turn, this will eliminate need for in-house IT management manpower.

According to Kuldeep Goyal, chairman & managing director, BSNL: “We are proud to announce a long term partnership with Microsoft India to offer a wide range of Managed services based on the SaaS model and are confident of the value that this will deliver to our customers. We are equally proud to launch BSNL Managed Business Mail as our first SaaS based managed service, and the first under this partnership."

"Managed Business Mail is an innovative messaging and collaboration service for Indian businesses that will provide enterprises and SMBs with rich enterprise-class email applications that deliver 24X7 access and significant productivity benefits – all at an affordable price”. BSNL Managed Business Mail will be available in four editions at affordable prices starting from Rs.. 420/- per month.

The unique feature of BSNL’s Managed Business Mail will be its availability from the mobile platform. This implies that the service will be accessible on smartphones of any service provider.  This unique facility will seamlessly extend the best in class experience benefits of the service to end consumers on the move,” he added.

Commenting on the partnership, Rajan Anandan, MD Microsoft India, said: “Customers find value in a combination of software plus services delivered via the Internet, thus making owning and managing IT more affordable and convenient. We believe that BSNL’s foray into the S+S model will provide ample value to businesses looking to leverage technology to maximize productivity while ensuring lower spends - especially in today’s cost controlled environment. We are excited about our partnership with BSNL for their managed services business and look forward to further strengthening our association”.

BSNL Managed Business Mail will enable businesses in the following ways:

Anytime anywhere access -
*  Manage one e-mail inbox synchronized among multiple devices such as smart phone, home PC, and office PC
*  Connect from any computer virtually anywhere with an internet connection
*  Maintain access to all messaging features such as mailbox, calendars, contacts, and public folders - even when offline - and continue working, regardless of network  connectivity

Integrated company communications - 
* Arrange meetings with ease by viewing free and busy schedules of participants, sending invitations, and tracking responses, with details entered automatically into participants’ calendars
* Grant other people (such as assistants) access to mailbox, calendar, and contacts while travelling
* Locate current contact and business intelligence information for customers, partners and coworkers with access to shared lists that everyone can view and edit
*  Manage projects across workgroups or companies with the ability to view timelines and assignments while tracking tasks that are active, completed, and overdue

Professionally delivered -
Hands-off operations with distractions and no disruptions from core business tasks
* All managed data is backed up on a regular basis and stored securely off-site for archival as well as disaster recovery
* All software updates and upgrades, including security fixes, are installed and maintained on a timely basis
* Add or subtract on-demand storage and capacity, mailboxes, and other services as needed
* Improved security with virus protection, robust physical security, and optimized data security
* Improved performance with redundant systems, robust bandwidth, service level agreements (SLAs), and high-availability infrastructure
* Integrated with other valuable Managed Business Mail like domain name, web hosting, broadband connectivity, and mobile phone service

" We believe that Microsoft Hosted Exchange is a compelling proposition that will help us deliver more choice, flexibility and affordability for customers. We shall continue to work closely with Microsoft India in the near future to bring a wider range of hosted applications to the market," Goyal said.