The risk of data loss is becoming a real worry for all sectors of industry as devices become much more mobile. Cloud storage is seen as the best way of managing this risk as the trend is to move away from using the cloud as a convenient way of moving files between computers, to using it as a way of disconnecting physical storage from the files. It means that even when your hardware is replaced or extended, your data is always accessible. And cloud operating system allows users to access their files whenever and wherever they can connect to the Internet, through everyday devices including smartphones, PDAs, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs.

Cloud computing technology is all around, yet few of us realise how much we take advantage of it. From email to music streaming and photo hosting, much of our lives are on the cloud. The advantages of cloud computing often far outweigh the negatives: seemingly unlimited storage space, data backup, and free upgrades are offered through these services. The question for many organisations today, then, is not if they should move to the cloud, but how to find a reliable product they can trust with their valuable data. The deployment flexibility that Microsoft provides with Exchange makes it easier to get the right solution for any business. Choosing whether to use Microsoft Exchange as Exchange Server 2010 on-premises, Exchange Online with Microsoft Office 365 in the cloud, or using both in a temporary or permanent hybrid scenario is something many organisations are deciding on.

Growing numbers of organisations are choosing to move email infrastructure to the cloud, for example, This means using an email service as a hosted service over the Internet rather than relying on inhouse email servers. The obvious benefits of undertaking this type of cloud move include reducing IT costs, more organisational agility, increased availability and reliability, and having the benefits of the latest Microsoft technology without having to migrate or upgrade.

However, moving to Exchange Online and cloud-based email services is not the right choice for everyone. With Exchange Server 2010 and Exchange Online, you can benefit from cloud-based email on your terms because of the Microsoft commitment to providing choice and flexibility. Rich hybrid capabilities enable you to have some users on Exchange Online and others on Exchange Server 2010, with both groups able to communicate, and see each other's presence status.

If you are in the situation that you need to choose which system of Exchange is best for your organisation, then it's wise to look at the different various hybrid scenarios Exchange can support. You could use a hybrid user scenario with some mailboxes still on-premises and some in the cloud. There is the added benefit for your organisation being able to deploy hybrid workloads, keeping mailboxes on-premises and putting anti-spam/antivirus or archive workloads in the cloud. In a hybrid situation, users provisioned in Exchange Online and users provisioned in the same domain in Exchange Server 2010 on-premises can see free/busy information and coexist with one another almost as if they were using the same deployment.

For this to happen, at least one Exchange Server 2010 SP1 server is deployed on-premises and acts as a gateway between the premises and Exchange Online. As a result, users on-premises or in the cloud continue to have access to the same Exchange service from the desktop, web, or mobile phone. It also means that administrators can manage their user base as one and synchronise their on-premises Active Directory with Office 365 cloud services if they prefer to.

This type of hybrid deployment is common among large migrations. For a company with thousands of users, for example, migrating everyone in a weekend is not feasible. Hybrid deployments enable migration to the cloud at your own pace. Some companies prefer to use a hybrid Exchange environment indefinitely such as an academic institution. They might choose to deploy Exchange Online for their students while maintaining Exchange Server 2010 for faculty and staff on-premises.

For one national mail services company, moving its computing system into the cloud has helped it cut costs and improve flexibility. Facing threats of increased competition, the organisation was under growing pressure to operate more efficiently. For the IT department, the challenge was even greater. Without a flexible, scalable IT infrastructure, the company was struggling. Then they considered the cloud. Although it already had an external service provider running its IT systems from a data centre, flexibility to adjust the terms of the agreement was limited. The company needed to be able to scale and adapt its IT systems more dynamically, without paying a premium for the privilege.

They moved from an old, on-premise software application to a flexible, modern solution Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 SP1 that is now hosted entirely in the cloud. Servers, software, storage and bandwidth are all supplied on demand, so the company pays only for the resources that it consumes. When staff numbers swell during the Christmas rush, the systems are scaled up accordingly - then switched off again in January. Over its current four-year contract, the company will save 10-15 per cent on maintenance costs alone, as it no longer owns the IT systems involved; these are now the responsibility of Microsoft and the company's broader IT service provider.

They now utilise a private cloud environment, with all the associated advantages of cloud computing such as flexibility and scalability, while allowing sensitive data to be kept on premise and under direct control. They move applications in and out of the cloud as and when they choose.

The flexibility offered by Microsoft enables you to choose the style that fits your needs. If you need a high degree of ownership and control over your infrastructure and data, Exchange Server 2010 is for you. If you want the availability, management, cost and other benefits of the cloud, you can deploy Exchange Online with Office 365. Remember that if you need to migrate gradually or maintain some user data on-premises and some online indefinitely, a hybrid deployment between Exchange Server 2010 and Exchange Online is also available. Whatever you choose to deploy, Exchange delivers a flexible, reliable platform, anywhere access, and improved protection and compliance.