Download drop-offs
Third-party file download services (also known as virtual staging servers) offer an alternative strategy for dealing with giant attachments. Users sign up for these services, then "drop off" files that would otherwise be e-mailed as attachments; the e-mail recipient gets a message with a link that allows retrieval of the attachment. For example, Dropload.com provides a quick, basic and free service of this kind. The files (of any type, up to 100MB) go away after seven days.
On the downside, you will not have a record of attachments and will not be able to retrieve them for regulatory or legal needs if you choose this kind of solution. But it's easy and convenient for a smaller business, or as a stopgap choice for certain documents. You certainly can't beat the price.
Another option, Sendthisfile.com, delivers free accounts for individuals, with a few caveats. For example, you and your recipients would see some third-party advertisements, and e-mails must be picked up within three days. For a more professional image, an enterprise plan for business customers lets you customize the look and feel of the browser page that e-mail senders and recipients will see, and includes access to administrative reports detailing transfers. This also offers more-sophisticated management options, such as deleting files after a specified number of days.
Exchange 12 anticipation
As for the item at the hot spot in the e-mail explosion, the Exchange mail server, most companies have upgraded to the current version, Exchange 2003. The next version, Exchange 12, due in late 2006 or early 2007, could help manage e-mail problems.
The upgrade will be based on 64-bit technology, which allows more addressable memory and larger memory caches than today's 32-bit version. This should significantly reduce the I/O traffic travelling to and from the Exchange server's storage system, says Microsoft's Ray Mohrman, Exchange technical product manager.
Current Exchange servers are typically bound by traffic, not disk space. I/O traffic reduction should help administrators utilize more of a server's storage space. Another possible benefit is the ability to pack more user in-boxes onto one server. Exchange 12 requires hardware that supports 64-bit technology, as well as a 64-bit operating systems.
The 64-bit technology should also improve Exchange's performance with e-mail caching appliances, which are typically memory intensive, Mohrman says. Exchange 12 also will let Outlook users archive e-mail to SharePoint sites.
No matter which approach you choose, find a strategy for dealing with the great e-mail expansion before it gets any worse, Millward says. Rest assured, he says, users will continue to push your e-mail system with larger and larger messages: One of his users recently sent a 1.8GB file.