Define three real workflows

Start with enquiries, employee changes and recovery. Ask someone who handles customer messages to describe an ordinary day. Does more than one person answer the same address? Must old project conversations remain available after a colleague leaves?

Translate each answer into a test. For example: a second authorized person can find the previous sales reply; a removed employee cannot sign in; an administrator can restore an accidentally deleted test message within the documented recovery window.

Separate capacity from permissions

A large storage allowance says nothing by itself about who can read a message. Review both. Measure stored mail, estimate attachment growth and check whether storage is per mailbox or shared with other services.

For permissions, distinguish administrators, mailbox owners and delegates. Test restricted access with a second account. A screenshot of a permissions page is weaker evidence than a denied attempt by someone who should not have access.

Use a scorecard with evidence

For each candidate, record a score from zero to two: zero means absent, one means claimed but untested, and two means demonstrated. Keep the supporting document or test date beside the score.

  • Owner access: the business controls administration and recovery.
  • Shared work: authorized staff can receive and reply through role addresses.
  • Recovery: deleted data and locked accounts have a documented path.
  • Migration: old mail and non-mail information have separate plans.
  • Cost: first-term and renewal totals include all required services.

Run a practical trial

Use synthetic messages and a small test group before moving live customer communications. Try search, replies, attachments and handover. Ask support a specific question about a limitation and preserve its answer.

A trial is also a chance to observe friction: confusing identities, difficult exports and unclear billing are relevant even if the service technically passes. Agree which shortcomings are acceptable and which would interrupt business.

Choose the complete fit

Make the decision against the tests you set in advance. Avoid adding points for a feature nobody will use while overlooking a missing recovery process. GridOnBoard’s comparison and availability pages can support this review, but confirm the currently deliverable service rather than treating a roadmap as a completed feature.