Mimecast promises BPOS VARs margin boost

Vendor claims wrapping its services around Microsoft BPOS will prove lucrative for partners

Mimecast is promising VARs that bundle its email archiving offerings with Microsoft's sofware-as-a-service (SaaS) offering, BPOS, a three-digit increase in margin.

The vendor recently extended support for Microsoft Exchange deployments to include the cloud-based version of the application offered as part of the software giant's Business Productivity Online Suite.

Plugging Mimecast's services into Microsoft Exchange extends the product's basic capabilities to include eDiscovery, anti-virus and archiving tools.

The vendor claims its services make it easier for end users to migrate from on-premise to cloud-based versions of Exchange, and upgrade to the most recent version of the software.

Peter Bauer, chief executive of Mimecast, said: "Momentum is building behind BPOS as businesses look to move applications to the cloud and run leaner IT departments.

"It is important for organisations considering moving to BPOS to realise that there are specific areas of functionality where the standard BPOS offering can be enhanced."

The vendor claims VARs that bundle its services with BPOS can expect to make 300 per cent more margin than they would receive on a standard Exchange deployment.

Julian Martin, vice president of business development at Mimecast, added: "Irrespective of whether their customers are upgrading to Exchange 2010 or moving to BPOS, there is an opportunity for all partners to make additional margin on any Exchange deployment if they include Mimecast."