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Does anyone know of or can recommend a good quality email server that can be configured for public emails only? I am wanting to setup an email server that a user can go to a particular website and create their own username (email account) and password with no input from me. I will be selling the email accounts for 5 bucks a month and would prefer to not use google… I have plenty of servers both virtual and physical that can be used and i currently use exchange 2010 for my own business use. Exchange requires a domain (while not a deal breaker) i do not want users to be able to see other users like you can in exchange. If i can get exchange configured to work much like gmail does then thats what i will use… any suggestions?

4 Spice ups
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I host a multi-domain environment on my Exchange 2013 farm. Pretty sweet. User can setup their mailboxes with their domain etc. etc. Will your users have a generic domain or their own domain?

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i bought a domain and a few (6) users so far want email addresses from that domain name

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Well, You can set them up on an exchange server and just prevent them access to the GAL.

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does it have to be 2013 or will 2010 work?

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Will work on 2010 as well. Just need to restrict access to the GAL.

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also with exchange i have to have AD working and must pre-add them to the system for them to have email… any way to make this hands-off for me from start to finish? kinda like how you create a gmail address…

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Seems like what you’re looking for is Selling/re-selling … I think, the easiest thing would be to sing-up a reseller with one of the various Email/Exchange service providers, who provide white/private labeled email hosting… This would save you of the hassle of managing your own hardware Infra …Plus, you will also get support from them …

You could look at Rackspace…

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Im not concerned with the management of infrastructure as I have plenty of servers to handle it just looking to keep this in house as I would like to be the hosting provider … I am sure it can be done

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Note that if you’re going the MS Exchange route, you’re going to need special licensing – SPLA, short for Services Provider Licensing Agreement – in order to make this service available to your users:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/licensing/licensing-options/spla-program.aspx

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That is not an issue thanks for the information.

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I second the “go with Rackspace” idea. You can’t maintain servers and spamfilters on your own for cheaper than what you can pay them to do it.

Alternatively maybe look into Imail server by Ipswitch

http://www.imailserver.com/

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Even though you already have and maintain several servers, to host and resell the service would require considerable investment in terms of money, time and even man-power… Things to consider : -

  • Licensing costs.
  • Security & Malware protection
  • Spam filtering
  • Billing & Account Management
  • Routing & Bandwidth management
  • Last be not the leat - Support & Maintenance

I don’t know what kind of market you’re targeting, but you would be competing against the likes of Microsoft, Rackspace, Google etc… So, your service better be up there with the rest, or else your business will peter-out in no time…