Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa now have access to a cost-effective business e-mail solution that delivers e-mail and collaboration with the introduction of Vox Cloud Mail.

“While there are many business e-mail platforms on the market that offer enhanced functionality such as chat and collaboration, these are priced out of the reach of most SMEs,” says Mayleen Bywater, senior product manager for e-mail at Vox.

According to Bywater, the product is similar to leading e-mail products on the market, but is based on open-source technology, making it far more affordable. While it can be used by businesses of all sizes, the key target market is companies in the SME segment with between one and 100 employees.

“Customers are charged per user, based on the highest number of active mailboxes over the period of a month, giving them the flexibility to scale up or down. This gives them a cost saving without having to compromise on the quality of their e-mail environment,” says Bywater.

Vox Cloud Mail provides customers with several familiar features including being able to create global address lists, set tasks, share calendar invites, tag others in conversations, and even includes a feature which allows users to store documents and files in the cloud, and share them with friends, colleagues, suppliers, etc.

The service is available through a full-featured Web client, and is easily accessible through smartphones and tablets.

Security

Vox also offers complementary products for companies that require enhanced functionality. Customers that require advanced security have access to an additional plug-in, while those concerned about data loss can subscribe to an unlimited e-mail archiving solution.

Subscription costs are based on the mailbox sizes, with between 10GB , 20GB and 50GB per user options available. In addition, customers can easily upgrade and downgrade between packages.