POP / IMAP Email comes as a standard component of our web hosting platform. While this system is still prevalent in the industry, and it works perfectly well, its roots date back to the 80s, and it is a limited technology.

We are in the process of phasing out our email hosting because it is simply no longer adequate for today’s business needs.

Due to this, and our desire to concentrate on our core creative services, we have decided to discontinue providing email services to new, incoming customers. For existing email customers (i.e. you!) we will require you to migrate to a purpose-built email solution that’s more inline with email needs for 2016 and beyond.

Hart Design is offloading all current email services to a provider offering a more advanced Email service. This means that a specialist email provider, independent of Hart Design, will soon provide your Email service.

This is the way email should be handled in 2016 and beyond.

In fact, around 50% of our web hosting customers are already running their email through an Email Exchange server, while having their website hosted with us. This is not a new thing; just a better way of doing business for you and us both.

In partnership with our preferred IT experts, Vital IT, together we will facilitate the migration of your email to a leading, specialist Email system. More on that below…

If you have received this letter, YOU are affected.

We’re entrusting the migration of email accounts to IT expert Viggo Burkhardt of Vital IT. He will provide hands-on support to ensure that the migration from Hart Design to their specialist Email service is as painless as possible.

Note: we recommend Vital IT because they know our system and when it comes to IT they really know their stuff. You of course are free to engage with any IT / Email provider of your choice. Please see What are your options? below.

Nothing at all will be happen until at least mid-July, 2016. Or we can push this through sooner for those keen to get it sorted ASAP. We are letting you know now so that you have some warning about the changes ahead.

We will begin working through our affected client list starting approximately mid-July. At that time Viggo Burkhardt will be in contact with a plan of attack. Viggo can answer any questions or concerns you have and will help you make an informed choice about the future of your email.

Our goal is to have all existing email clients migrated as soon as possible. A deadline of October 5 will be enforced.

At this stage you don’t need to do anything. Vital IT will be in touch to explain what happens next in due course.

When the time comes, this will mean you will need to reconfigure your email accounts to hook up with your new email provider. This will apply to your PC, iPad, Smartphone, etc. Again, Vital IT will be available to take care of this for you.

Migration:

Vital IT will assist with your transition to their email system. Before that happens, Vital IT will provide a quote for the migration depending on the end solution required.

Alternatively if you prefer to choose your own email provider you will need to confirm the set up costs with them, if any.

Ongoing costs:

Depending on the configuration required this would cost an estimated $11.00–$13.00+gst per mailbox per month, and supplied by Vital IT. This cost is right in line with current industry rates. Hart Design do not receive any markup, commission or kickback for this.

Please note: the new email service we’re recommending is NOT an apples-for-apples comparison (see further information below) with the service you receive from us now, which is why there is a per mailbox cost.

Web hosting:

Happy to continue hosting your website with us? Great – your web hosting will be charged at the same monthly cost as at present. For customers on a monthly Digital Marketing Plan with us, your web hosting cost is included.

Wait, what? No email service but same monthly cost?

Our web hosting service has held the same cost for 10 years, yet our costs and technical input has increased significantly. With this in mind we are unable to offer a reduction in web hosting despite the changes outlined in this document.

Email exchange offers significantly more storage space, greater stability, improved deliverability and easy integration with other Microsoft software such as Calendars.

Additionally, using our recommended specialist email provider you will enjoy:

• 24/7 access to technical support
• Your email is always available. You can access via a Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone or Web Client: your data is the same on all devices
• Data is backed up
• Your data is stored securely in a Data Centre that is located in New Zealand
• Scalable: add or remove users as required
• Friendly Service

Don’t like the sound of this? No problem. You are free to take your web hosting and email services to any web hosting provider of your choice. At Hart Design, we only use Open Source website systems so that you can move your web hosting to another provider if you choose to do so.

If you don’t want the added cost of an Exchange email service, and are happy with the limitations of your current POP / IMAP service, there are likely to be other providers out there who still offer the same POP / IMAP service as we have been providing, so if you’d like to explore your options you are very welcome to do so.

POP is a way of retrieving email information that dates back to a very different Internet than we use today. Unchanged since the mid-80’s, it’s simply no longer suitable for the current business environment.

IMAP dates back almost as far as POP however operates a little differently.

Both POP and IMAP email systems come built-in with our web hosting platform. While they both work perfectly well, our service is capped to a quota of 1GB, which not really enough for many of our customers. Additionally, Users often run into trouble where they find themselves inadvertently locked out of our hosting server due to the necessarily tight security measures around these systems. If something is slightly off at your end, it can cause disruptions to your service.

Microsoft Exchange is a much more advanced email system with greater features and is ideally suited for the demands of modern business, even the little guys. Managed by specialist email providers; that’s all they do so you know you’re getting the best service possible. Can Mac users use an Email Exchange mail server? Absolutely.