The Easiest Way to Market ExchangeDefender Solutions

If you are like most MSP or IT solution companies, day to day business can often times get in the way of all of the things you would like to do in a given day? In this, sales and marketing efforts can be put on the back burner and operations can take the brunt of, or the majority of work needed to stay operational. Not many IT companies have dedicated sales and marketing staff, which can sometimes keep the business from reaching its next level goals.

One of the advantages to working with forward thinking vendors like ExchangeDefender is getting the opportunity to utilize provided, proven marketing materials, documentation, and expertise from dedicated marketing staff. This allows your business to get the essentials needed to grow the business without having to find resources or utilize hard earned revenues.

ExchangeDefender partners get access to a wealth of information and knowledge to brand and market their solutions. A quick visit to the marketing link at the ExchangeDefender website provides brandable materials from flyers and brochures, to Postcards and Mailers, to product specific cut sheets giving you access to all of the information needed to begin a marketing campaign, no matter how large or small.

The benefit to being a partner doesn’t end with just materials. The marketing staff will even dedicate resources to help you brand the documentation for your business. By filling out the simple form at the bottom of the site and uploading your logo, the ExchangeDefender marketing team will get to work for you custom branding requested materials and returning them to your business, usually within 24 hours.

By keeping your clients informed, creating recurring marketing campaigns, and providing branded documentation and materials, you will be well on your way to reaching your business goals. By utilizing the resources you have available and allowing the ExchangeDefender marketing team to lend a helping hand, you can be assured to keep revenues in your pocket and add additional revenues to the bottom line.

Frank Gurnee
VP, Channel Services, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x4777
frank@ownwebnow.com

LOUIE LOUIE LOUIE LOOUUIIIEEEE

Over the past week we’ve had some reports about random slowness seen by users on LOUIE. So far this has been only reported by a handful of partners totaling less than 2% of the total user base on LOUIE. The reports from users included slow email delivery, OWA time outs and random errors in OWA. Unfortunately there was no common link between the reports (ISP, firewalls, etc.) which required us to do a bit of in-depth debugging. During our tracing we were able to log that timeouts appeared to be occurring during GC lookups by LOUIEMBOX1 when delivering mail or responding back to CAS servers with mailbox data. To rectify the issue we’ve increased the resources available to the domain controllers and we will be monitoring connections throughout the day.

Travis Sheldon
VP, Network Operations, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x757
travis@ownwebnow.com

ExchangeDefender LocalCloud

The newest addition to the ExchangeDefender Suite is ExchangeDefender LocalCloud!

LocalCloud is gaining more and more interest every day! Thousands of our ExchangeDefender partners have already rolled out LocalCloud! If you have not yet heard of ExchangeDefender LocalCloud be sure to read this post or click here for more information ExchangeDefender LocalCloud.

ExchangeDefender LocalCloud is a completely cloud-based file storage platform that provides multi-device sync, geographical redundancy and local storage. The ExchangeDefender LocalCloud system syncs across any device that has an agent loaded onto it and allows users to have access to files on every device no matter where they are, whether in the office, at home, etc.

How Does It Work?

ExchangeDefender LocalCloud utilizes local caching on each machine which means users are not tied to an internet connection to access any of their data. LocalCloud provides an exciting, new, local file sync feature, which allows clients to leverage the cloud service to synchronize documents across multiple PCs, while only accessing the cloud to sync information changes. This allows users to access their files and make modifications quickly, without waiting for files to download. By removing the need to manage files “in the cloud” with a limited functionality editor, ExchangeDefender LocalCloud is able to eliminate the problem which has plagued many other competitors. Data integrity, backup, and redundancy is also completely handled; by replicating data across multiple, secure data centers, LocalCloud provides a robust solution and adds an additional layer of security, with full access to all logs and security controls.

LocalCloud Highlights

· Geographically Redundant Storage

· Enterprise Hardware

· Easy & Seamless

· Keeps Your Business in Sync

· Encrypted Storage & Encrypted Transfer

· Audit Logs & Access

· Support Included!!!

The only way you can use LocalCloud is with the full suite of ExchangeDefender. LocalCloud is currently available for FREE! With LocalCloud you get up to 1GB of storage included free of charge with ExchangeDefender. Once you enable LocalCloud all your users will have their FREE 1GB allocation ready to use. The only limitation is that you cannot pool the space. You can also upgrade your storage space if you need to. The process is outlined in the LocalCloud Installation Guide,  and pricing is defined in the Partner Guide.

With the successful launch of LocalCloud we are going to continue to make LocalCloud better and better. We have gotten a lot of feedback and feature requests for LocalCloud and know that it is capable of becoming an even more beneficial product to help you to become more profitable. Progressively, throughout the fourth quarter of this year we will be rolling out LocalCloud 2.0.

LocalCloud 2.0 will have more functionality when it comes to sharing folders with others so that multiple people can work on files. There will also be alerts sent out to users and groups when files are used, more detailed tracking and logs, and LocalCloud 2.0 will also have a Mac OS X client.

How to Order LocalCloud

As long as you have ExchangeDefender you have already have LocalCloud, you just need to enable it! Go to https://admin.exchangedefender.com and enable LocalCloud. If your business needs call for more storage space just go through the simple ordering process within the ExchangeDefender Support Portal in the Service Manager http://support.ownwebnow.com and click on LocalCloud.

For more information you can view the Installation Guide, How LocalCloud Works page, or feel free to give us call, (877) 546-0316 and ask us about LocalCloud.

Stephanie Hasenour
VP Marketing, ExchangeDefender
stephanie@ownwebnow.com

Defending Your Turf

There is no question that in today’s market no client is safe. Whether you have had long time partnerships with your clients, or if they are new to your service, there is bound to be someone right behind you that would love to woo them away with promises of lower prices. Though loyalty and commitment are important to many, the state of the economy has some looking to save every dollar they can, and this can sometimes mean that friendships or long-term relationships may be overlooked for a reduction in the bottom line.

There are a number of things that can be done to protect your turf.

1. Know your Competition

In this gathering as much information about competitor offerings, service, and pricing will allow you to be prepared for their imminent assault provide you the knowledge you need to defend your territory.

2. Visit Clients Frequently

We hear this often but it is the thing most MSP and IT solution providers do not do enough. These do not always have to be formal appointments, drop by with donuts in the morning or a pizza at lunch. The little things make all of the difference.

3. Keep Your Clients Informed

Newsletters, emails, and postcards are good ways to keep your company top of mind with your clients. It’s also a good way to keep clients informed about trends in technology and what’s going on with your business. Be sure that anything that is sent to clients is relevant and stripped of geek speak.

4. Pass On Savings

Many vendor solutions provide breaks or discounts when certain milestones or thresholds are reached. Most MSP’s and IT Solution companies pocket these savings and add them to the revenue. This may however be an opportunity to gain more loyalty with your clients by passing on a discount or savings when these savings occur.

5. Add Value Regularly

It is important to continuously evaluate your solution stack. When new features or benefits come out make sure to inform and add these for your clients. Providing new value is always a good way to keep a client happy.

Providing clients with information, value, and face time will surely help you combat the looming competition ready to take your client. By following some of these simple steps you will not only save a client but you will also be prepared for any potential threat. If you’re a kid of the 80’s you will remember the tagline “now you know, and knowing is half the battle.”

Frank Gurnee
VP, Channel Services, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x4777
frank@ownwebnow.com

Inbound Mail Bounces

I see a lot of support requests where folks do not understand where the problem is when mail is not delivered. So this little short primer will hopefully shed a lot of light on how to resolve these.

The first thing to do is, search the rejection notice for the following text “exchangedefender.com”

If that does not provide any results, then the problem is that the email is not coming to ExchangeDefender. This can be a DNS record has not expired OR you have a different MX record in addition to inbound30.exchangedefender.com receiving the email.

If that finds a match then it’s likely making it to use but then it’s being rejected. From that point we only have 3 rejection types.

1. Rejected due to being a SPAM Botnet, this means the sending server is a KNOWN spam bot net (willingly or not) and needs to address that issue. We provide the details in the rejection

2. Rejected with a rejection “Relaying Denied”. This means the domain does NOT exist in admin.exchangedefender.com OR it does exist and it has not propagated yet. All you have to do is either add them if you don’t see it listed OR wait if it’s already listed.

3. Rejected with “ExchangeDefender does NOT protect this address.” This means the domain exists BUT the particular address in question does not. Again, as above, if it doesn’t exist in admin.exchangedefender.com add it, if it does then wait for propagation.

I hope these tips help you in resolving situations for your clients in a faster manner.

Carlos Lascano
VP Support Services, ExchangeDefender
carlos@ownwebnow.com
(877) 546-0316 x737

Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer

When it comes to testing a user’s claim that their mailbox is magically not working again there are a ton of different tests you can do to troubleshoot. But if your Exchange or support staff’s Exchange skillset is limited, Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer is your friend. In fact, it’s your best friend. 

We get a lot of assumptions when someone is reporting an issue with a mailbox, the usually consists of random connectivity that all conclude with “I don’t know, so it’s you”. Well the first thing we do when we such a report is attempt to load the mailbox in OWA/Outlook. If it loads, we get into the support cycle of “it’s broken, it’s you” , “no, it works, it’s you and/or your user”. This tool allows you to test everything remotely and spits out verbose error messages that can help you skip a test and if something is wrong, it helps you provide us with actually useful information. Of course, the garbage in/garbage out of software applies, if you’re putting in incorrect info then the error information becomes useless.

https://www.testexchangeconnectivity.com/

You can click on that link and see a list of tests, the one to emulate the Mailbox Access through Outlook is the “Outlook Anywhere” test.

The next page will ask for your log in information, make sure to observer the authentication practices for the server your client is on. They’re different on 2007 and 2010. You also get the option to use Autodiscover or manual server information. Remember, if you don’t have Autodiscover set up, don’t test using Autodiscover.

Carlos Lascano
VP Support Services, ExchangeDefender
carlos@ownwebnow.com
(877) 546-0316 x737

CompTIA Breakaway 2012 an Event for Education and Networking

With the CompTIA Breakway 2012 event now in the books; I wanted to reflect on the event and what the major takeaways were. This event has always been presented with the utmost of thought, and the experience for the attendee from registration through to the final day is one of the best in the industry!

The biggest thing to note about Breakaway is that it is an educational event first, and for some this may not be understood, especially for vendor participants. Vendors are not provided opportunities to have breakout sessions about products or solutions and are only provided booth time at the end of the days to show off their products to participants.

Having been to Breakaway for the past few years, I have understood this and have been able to set my expectations based on this fact. The educational breakout sessions are relevant; though course material is good, basic courses should have more advanced counterparts to give attendees options when they are comfortable with the basics of subject matter. According to CompTIA, this is something they are working on for future events based on feedback that they have received.

The real advantage for vendors and solution providers alike comes from the networking opportunity. Most of the who’s who in the industry including vendors, solution providers, and media attends the event. This provides a unique environment to schedule meetings, get insight, and discuss trends within the community.

For ExchangeDefender this was the key to the event! A great number of our current partners attended the event, giving us the opportunity to meet with long-term partners that we had never met, and talk about new products and services such as the new CloudShare solution and Managed Messaging solution. The feedback and excitement around these new solutions was amazing and even Vince Tinnirello from Anchor Network Solutions gave ExchangeDefender a shout out at the MSP Partners Meeting at Breakaway.

This year CompTIA provided a mobile app for navigating the event. This was a welcome approach to years past with paper agendas. The new “green” mobile approach really made the experience of finding breakouts, keeping track of the event, and creating meetings a fun experience. The app approach also speaks to the dominance and adoption of mobility in the channel and public sector, and was a huge part of the talk at Breakaway. Mobility is big buzz right now, and it is in the phase of emerging solutions for Solution Providers that we have seen from managed services and cloud solutions at previous events.

CompTIA Breakaway 2012 was definitely a success! CompTIA did a great job of soliciting feedback from vendors and Solution Providers to make future events even better through several breakouts. This speaks volume to a forward thinking organization willing to not only accept the good, but to ask for criticism as well. It was great seeing Exchangedefender partners and meeting with soon to be new ones as well and we look forward to future events with CompTIA.

Frank Gurnee
VP, Channel Services, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x4777
frank@ownwebnow.com

ExchangeDefender NOC & Android App

Many partners have expressed over and over again that we needed to provide an intuitive method to deliver outage notifications and reports to partners. A majority of partners requested email alerts for outage notifications, which sadly will never happen for two reasons:

1. If your server is down, there is no point in emailing you to tell you that your server is down

2. Email message delivery isn’t guaranteed and is extremely taxing compared to more efficient methods.

With the above points in mind, we created our NOC page with an overview glance of any service issues for the week and an RSS feed along with it. Next, we integrated our NOC with our Twitter account. Now, we introduce the native android app for push-based notifications from our NOC.

Using you support.ownwebnow.com credentials, you would authenticate to the service and then select the categories / services that you would like to receive alerts for.

Once you update your alert preferences, they’ll be saved remotely for use by any device that signs in with your credentials.

The application is in it’s final testing stages and UI design. It’s expected to be published in the android play market place by next week.

Travis Sheldon
VP, Network Operations, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x757
travis@ownwebnow.com

Delivery Has Failed to a Known Good Address

We have been asked the question of “Why has delivery failed to a known good address?” many times and there is a pattern of techs not understanding the technology, so we get the “fix this now”, “can’t you fix this on the server side?”. The answer is no! It is not because we do not want to answer it, but because it is impossible. There is a very easy way to spot a rejection at client side (meaning the mail client). The address that it is trying to reach is NOT the address you are sending to but something along the lines of IMCEAEX…

Here’s What the Rejection Will Look Like:

Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups:

‘John Doe’
The e-mail address you entered couldn’t be found. Please check the recipient’s e-mail address and try to resend the message. If the problem continues, please contact your helpdesk.

Diagnostic information for administrators:

Generating server: XDHUB1.exchange.exchangedefender.com

IMCEAEX-E@exchange.exchangedefender.com
#550 5.1.1 RESOLVER.ADR.ExRecipNotFound; not found ##

Original message headers:

Received: from XDMBOX2.exchange.exchangedefender.com
([fe80::a8e2:9126:dd6e:8bf8]) by XDHUB1.exchange.exchangedefender.com ([::1])
with mapi id 14.02.0247.003; Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:59:14 -0400
Content-Type: application/ms-tnef; name=”winmail.dat”
Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary
From: Pete Doe <pdoe@test.com>
To: ‘John Doe’ <jdoe@test.com>
Subject: Test
Thread-Topic: Test
Thread-Index: Ac1pDVsDxEcqf72fRmijT1S+CcvrRA==
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:59:25 -0400
Message-ID: <ABB95AC4A084EB4E81BD7F9CC6900BAD717BF0@XDMBOX2.exchange.exchangedefender.com>
Accept-Language: en-US
Content-Language: en-US
X-MS-Has-Attach: yes
X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: <ABB95AC4A084EB4E81BD7F9CC6900BAD717BF0@XDMBOX2.exchange.exchangedefender.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Originating-IP: [123.123.123.123]

Here’s the Background on the Issue:

Outlook maintains a nickname list that is used by both the automatic name checking feature and the automatic completion feature. The nickname list is generated automatically as you use Outlook. If the nickname cache is corrupted, Outlook may be unable to identify recipients, may offer incorrect recipients when automatically completing the email address, or may send the message to the wrong person.

Here’s How You Fix It:

Outlook 2010

1. Open a new email message.

2. Type the first few characters of the nickname cache entry that you want to remove from the cache.

3. When the entry appears in the list of suggested names, move your mouse pointer over the name until it becomes highlighted, but do not click the name.

4. When the “X” icon appears next to the highlighted name, click X to remove the name from the list.

Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003

1. Open a new email message.

2. Type the first few characters of the nickname cache entry that you want to remove from the cache.

3. When the entry appears in the list of suggested names, use the UP and DOWN arrow keys on your keyboard to select the entry, and then press DELETE on your keyboard.

Outlook Knowledge Base Article
“Fix it” Download

Carlos Lascano
VP Support Services, ExchangeDefender
carlos@ownwebnow.com
(877) 546-0316 x737

The Easiest Conversation about Cloud Services You Will Ever Have with Your Clients!

The IT industry as whole has been marketing cloud solutions to the general public creating awareness around “The Cloud” for consumers. This is helpful for IT Solution Providers in that it minimizes marketing efforts needed to drive awareness for available products and services, and drives demand. In some ways though this has created more confusion for consumers, and may drive them to competing solutions if IT companies do not proactively discuss cloud with their clients.

Being that you are an ExchangeDefender partner; you are providing your clients with cloud solutions today. This makes for easy conversations with clients about cloud, as they already have it. This may be very apparent to you, but may not be as apparent to the client. It is important to take this simple message to your clients now.

As we have learned through many trainings and organizations, regular meetings also known as QBR’s or (Quarterly Business Reviews) are important for continuous success and loyalty with clients. By sitting down with your clients you are showing that their business is important to you, and that you are committed to keeping them up to date with technology and their environment.

Begin by scheduling ad-hoc meetings, letting clients know that you want to bring them up to speed with “all of this cloud talk that has been going around.” Start the conversation with “good news”, “you are already in the cloud”! You might be surprised but this simple line might save you thousands of dollars of business in the future. “How”; you might ask?

I’m sure it won’t surprise you that your competition wants your clients. Your clients are constantly being hit through multiple platforms, email, phone, letters, and so on about products and services. With this, it only takes one good salesperson to get to your client and ask if they are in the cloud. Their answer can go one of two ways, “I’m not sure”; which is all the salesman needs to move in, or “we are already in the cloud and happy, thank you for your time.” Believe me, the latter is a much better answer.

The point here is, have this easy conversation with your clients now. An additional idea might be to make up some postcard sized standups to put at the front of your clients reception area that says something like, “We are in the Cloud” powered by your company name. This makes everyone aware in their office that they already have a cloud solution.

By making your clients aware and keeping them in the know, you will surely be better off than letting them learn through other means. Also by meeting with them you create a good way to let them know what other cloud enabled solutions you can bring to help their business. All of this will not only build your relationship, but also just might turn into additional revenue for your company.

Frank Gurnee
VP, Channel Services, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x4777
frank@ownwebnow.com