Hosted Solutions

FAQs

What does the 30 day free trial include?

The 30 day trial of our premium e-mail service is limited to up to three 15MB mailboxes and 5MB of Public Folder Space. At the end of the trial both your trial service and any content (emails, address books, diaries) will expire and you will need to order a standard or premium mailbox to continue using the service. If required, you can export the content from your trial mailbox using Outlook or Outlook Express as a .pst file and import into the full service you have ordered.

Why should I choose Kingston Communications over everyone else?

Apart from our undoubted financial strength, and long established good reputation, we are a diversified communications / telecoms Group with a wider and longer corporate experience than any other provider of Hosted Applications in the UK today.

Kingston Communications is a completely service orientated business. Exceptional reliability and customer support are the most important things we can offer you. We back our hosting services with guarantees which help you rest assured that your crucial information and communications are in the safest of hands.

We make it easy for you to manage your services via a best-in-class online control panel.

Do you use your own Data Centres, or are they somebody else’s, and are they UK based?

We use our own Data Centres. We operate from three Data Centres in the UK and we have direct control of the day to day operations. Our Hosted Applications Platform is housed in our flagship Data Centre at Global Switch in London. It is a world class facility, with the highest possible standards in connectivity, physical / data security, power and climate control.

Are you a Microsoft Partner?

Yes, we are a Microsoft Gold Partner, in recognition of our technical capability and achievement.

Do you have any accreditations?

Yes, here are a few...

  • ISO 27001 ISMS (Information Security Management System) Certification
  • ISO 14001 EMS (Environmental Management System) Certification
  • ISO 9001
  • Investors in People

How long have you been in business?

Kingston Communications is part of KCOM Group plc, a public limited company which is quoted on the London Stock Exchange. The company originates from 1882, and started life running the Hull City Telephone System.

Are you financially secure, i.e., will you be there in 6 month’s time?

With an annual turnover in excess of £480m, and net assets of over £170m, we have the financial stability and capability to ensure the highest levels of reliability and support. Our plans include continued investment in the hosting platforms, software and infrastructure upon which our services are based

How easy is it to sign up for Hosted Exchange, and how long does it take?

It’s very simple to order and manage your services via the web-based control panel. Alternatively, one of our HMC sales specialists will be able to answer any questions an help you with more complex orders / requirements.

What sort of SLA (Service Level Agreement) do you offer?

We offer a 99.9% SLA, with compensation for unscheduled downtime. We carry out regular and routine maintenance and constant monitoring to ensure the highest possible level of service and performance.

How reliable is the Service?

We work very hard to make it as reliable as it possibly can be. As we said in the answer above, we do what ever we can to make the Service work 100% of the time. However, if and when something happens to challenge the normally perfect working situation, we pull all the stops out to get it up and running as quickly as possible, thus minimising any possible service downtime. We would hope that you would not expect more, and we believe that we could not give more, than this.

How do you charge for Hosted Exchange?

We charge monthly, on a per-mailbox basis for the service provided. The cost per mailbox will depend upon the features and functionality as well as the Disk Space storage quota assigned.

Your entry-level Hosted Exchange mailbox size is 100MB. Can I have more space per mailbox?

Yes. Each mailbox user is allocated 100MB of mailbox storage by default. If required, increased allocations can be given to individual mailboxes. Click here to see the Hosted Exchange Pricing Grid. This shows the available storage options together with the associated pricing.

Which version of Hosted Exchange do you offer?

Currently, we offer Exchange 2003, but plan to introduce Exchange 2007 later this year.

Which Operating System do I need to enable me to use your Hosted Exchange Service?

Users will need either Windows Vista or Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed, to get the full functionality of Hosted Exchange.

Which version of Outlook do I need to work with your Hosted Exchange Service?

You need to have Outlook 2003 (or higher, e.g. Outlook 2007) in order to enjoy the full functionality. A free, fully-licensed copy of Outlook 2007 is available via download for each Premium Exchange Mailbox, if required. For remote (Outlook Web Access) connection to your account a computer with an internet connection running Internet Explorer (6 or above) is recommended.

Do I need a VPN to connect to your Hosted Exchange?

No. With Windows XP (or higher) and Outlook 2003 (or higher), Windows uses a protocol called RPC over HTTPS, which does away with the need for a VPN.

Do you show us how to set up Outlook to enable communications with your Hosted Exchange Platform?

Yes, we provide you with a user-friendly, step by step guide, which shows you everything you need to do. Help is only a phone call away if you get stuck.
Setting Up Outlook for use with your Hosted Exchange Service....

Do you help us migrate our data into your Hosted Exchange Platform?

Yes, we provide you with a user-friendly guide, which shows you how to do it. Expert advice is on hand to assist you, should you need it.
Setting Up Outlook for use with your Hosted Exchange Service...

Do you support Entourage (Apple’s equivalent of Outlook)?

While we do not officially support Entourage, it will work well with our Exchange, although there are some limitations to its functionality.

Do you offer more than one Hosted Exchange Product?

Yes, we currently offer 2 variants;

Do you offer Windows Mobile Device Support / Outlook Mobile Access (OMA)?

Yes, in the Premium package we offer full support for Windows Mobile Devices, via Windows Mobile 5 and 6.  There is no additional cost for this.

Is there a Control Panel?

Yes, we provide a Control Panel which enables you to manage and maintain your Hosted Exchange accounts.

Can we change our Passwords ourselves?

Yes.  This is done via the Control Panel or via OWA (see below)..

Can I access my email via Webmail as well as Outlook on my PC?

Yes.  You can access your email via Outlook Web Access (OWA) - also known as Webmail.  We will give you all you need to do this (URL, Username and Password). You can use this access method from any device with a web browser (Internet Explorer 6 and above recommended) and Internet connection.

Where is the email stored?

By default, all your information is stored on our secure servers, including your personal folders. You can therefore use Outlook from two different locations (such as your desktop PC and your Laptop), and always see the same information for your email account.  Should you require, you can download a copy of your data and store it locally.

Can I work on my emails off-line?

Yes. You can download your email and documents to your local computer (e.g. via Outlook).  You can then organise and work on them off-line, updating the documents or composing your replies. When you next connect to the Exchange Platform, any outgoing messages will be sent and the folder views synchronised.

Can I increase or decrease the number of users I require on a monthly basis?

Yes. You can add or remove users via the Control Panel. The monthly charge is based on the number of users who were active on the service in any one calendar month. 

How does Microsoft Licensing work?

We license our Hosted Exchange service on a Per User / Month basis with Microsoft. This is included in your monthly charge so there are no further Licensing costs incurred.

Do I get Virus Checking and Spam Filtering (AV / AS)?

Yes.  We provide these free of charge, on a per mailbox basis for Hosted Exchange.

Is there a firewall in place on your Hosted Exchange Platform?

Yes. It is included in the package at no extra cost.  All the Exchange Servers sit behind an enterprise-grade Firewall.

Do you keep the Exchange servers updated with the latest Microsoft security patches?

Yes.  All our servers are scanned regularly to ensure they are up to date with the latest security patches.  We have a security policy to apply any patches that are required.

What data do you backup and how long do you keep it for?

We perform daily backups of Exchange data to mailbox level. These are kept for 7 days.

What if I need to keep my data for longer?

We do not keep the data for longer than 7 days on Hosted Exchange. Should you require data to be retained for longer periods an archiving service will shortly be available (NB. Extra charges will apply for this).

What can be restored, i.e., a single email, mailbox etc?

Yes. We can restore any part of the backed-up data on Hosted Exchange for up to 7 days.

Do you need to control our Domain Name?

No. You can have the domain’s MX Record pointed to our Hosted Exchange Platform.  Alternatively you can transfer the domain name to us and we will manage it on your behalf.

Is there a message size limit?

Yes. 20Mb.

Is there a maximum email message size that I can use with the Hosted Exchange service?

Yes, individual messages (including attachments) are limited to 20Mb in size. This applies to both sent and received items. Larger documents may be distributed using the Public Folders facility if required.

Can I set an 'Out of Office Message' in Exchange?

Yes. This is done from your Outlook client for Premium Mail, and OWA for Standard Mail.

Can I share my contacts list and personal calendars with others?

Yes. This is set up on an individual permissions basis, with each User setting up a 'share' from their Outlook client.

Can we have a common shared calendar between a number of people?

Yes. This facility is available with the Exchange Premium product and would be set up by the Administrator of your email system.

Can we have common shared folders between a number of people?

Yes, in the Exchange Premium product. This is called Public Folders. This would be set up by the Administrator of your email system.

Can we have a mixture of Premium and Standard mail boxes?

Yes. You can have any combination that you require, with varying storage allocations.

Can we set up Distribution lists?

Yes. You can do this from your control panel.

Can we setup an Alias email address?

Yes. You can do this from your control panel.

Can we setup our SMTP address for users or the whole company?

Yes. You can do this from your control panel.

Hosted Exchange from Kingston Communications.

*Price excludes VAT