Thinking about implementing a new email platform, but keep postponing the process since it seems way too time-consuming? Here we describe the whole process to show you know how fast it can be done!
After you have decided that your company needs a new email platform, the routine usually looks the same. It goes from requirements to implementation and through testing, evaluation, and verification of the operational production system. Nevertheless, the duration of this process varies from weeks to months.
Email service providers have different needs, so obviously, one size does not fit all. Some want a service that filters their emails from spam and viruses. Other companies want to consolidate all their incoming and outgoing emails for their hosting environment (mailbox). Others, often internet service providers (ISPs), want it for their infrastructure. Let us go through the entire process.
The customer provides a requirement specification to the supplier, who goes through it thoroughly to make sure everything specified can be fulfilled and delivered. In general, everything can be done, but in some cases, to comply, additional 3rd party solutions might be needed.
This stage is usually pretty swift, but it depends on the customer (for instance, public procurement usually takes a bit longer). Difficulties that may arise during this part of the process could be answering the customer’s questions and meeting the new platform demands, as well as documenting the system to be replaced and its requirements.
During the implementation, product specialists work with installing and configuring the new email platform based on the agreed requirements, in close collaboration with the customer. Meetings are continuously held with the customer to make sure everything is working smoothly. Also, information from the old email platform is analyzed and secured to be used for integration during the implementation.
Also, during the implementation, the platform is adjusted to suit the customer’s requirements, and if problems occur, the supplier makes suitable improvements to solve the.
After implementation, it is up to the customer to test, evaluate, and verify the new platform and its functions and asses to what level the agreed requirements are met. In this part of the process, minor adjustments of the configuration might be needed, and IP addresses may need to be warmed.
Also, live traffic then needs to be tested. It begins with the customer directing some of the traffic from the old platform to the new one (if possible). Should a problem occur, or changes are to be made during live operation, many choose to use blue-green deployment.
At Halon, our live staging function is an enhanced way of using blue-green deployment. With the regular procedure, you create two identical environments to test the traffic. With live staging, you can run two similar configurations in the same environment, and try only a small portion of the traffic using the new configuration, to make sure that the testing is safe. If everything is operating as it should, you can then gradually increase the amount of traffic, until all traffic has been moved to the new configuration.
If everything goes according to plan, and the customer appreciates the new system, you celebrate and go-to-market!
The complete implementation process will always vary, but it does not have to be as time-consuming as you initially might have thought. If you are looking for a way to upgrade your email platform quickly, Halon can get everything up and running, not in months – but weeks! Get in touch with us to know more!