Four Giants Compete For Your Cloud Email Business

Google jumped into the enterprise email market in 2007 with a $50 annual subscription to its cloud email service and turned the market upside down. Microsoft quickly re-evaluated and repriced its Exchange Online offering to $5 per user per month; IBM launched LotusLive Notes and iNotes for $5 and $3, respectively; and Cisco purchased PostPath and opened its WebEx Mail offering with a 5 GB mailbox for $5 per user per month. Each of these big four collaboration vendors has since beefed up and clarified its road map for cloud email and collaboration services. Their email offerings are rapidly approaching feature and price parity — at least on the checklist items. The endgame? It's not entirely clear yet, but Microsoft and Google are in the lead for customers.