Concentric, a leader in web and e-mail hosting services and a sponsor of OStatic, is offering a discount to OStatic readers, starting today. New customers, and existing customers who purchase additional services, get a 10% discount on Managed Server and Managed Backup services. There are many additional exciting offers for OStatic readers from Concentric coming soon! The company specializes in hosted Exchange services, e-mail security and services, managed backup, and more.

Hosted site, e-mail and security services can free many people from administration hassles that they don't want to be burdened by. In a sponsored partnership with OStatic, Concentric is launching a dedicated microsite that will provide articles, whitepapers, and more information on efficiencies that can be gained through hosted services, so readers can learn more about these offerings. Additional promotions for OStatic readers will also be featured here. You can find the Concentric microsite here.

With all the talk about cloud computing and Software as a Service (SaaS), where does hosted email fit in and what is it all about? While it's easy to rely on one of the free email services available for small businesses, a fully managed hosted option takes all the guesswork and hassle out of one of the most important tools a successful business needs -- reliable email service.

There are several advantages to using hosted email, and chief among them is the predictable and comparatively low cost of services like Concentric's Hosted Exchange. An in-house deployment of Microsoft Exchange 2007 along with the associated costs of purchasing new hardware and software can easily cost a mid-size organization hundreds of dollars even before the first email is sent. Add to that administrative costs, server downtime, and system monitoring, and the total cost of ownership quickly skyrockets.

Want to hear an odd little theory (or perhaps more of a personal hang up) of mine? I don't own a Mac, and have never owned a Mac -- and I can say without reservation that many Macs I've worked with have been great, robust little machines. I also have never owned any Apple device (iPod, iPhone, or even a Newton). There are a few reasons on that front, one being that I don't have a Mac, and historically I've seen that these devices just don't play as well on other platforms as they do on Macs.

Here's the rub: Macs are nice, contained sorts of bio-domes, technological terrariums of sorts. The hardware and software all work together by design (which makes computing pleasant when all goes to plan and frustrating when it doesn't). When you need (or want) to use an outside service, problems ranging from aesthetic annoyances to complete non-communication arise.

Open-Xchange is an open source groupware and email alternative to Microsoft's Exchange Server. Though Open-Xchange previously supported Mac systems to some degree, it wasn't truly a cohesive, native experience.

If you're running OS X and use Open-Xchange, syncing your calendar, email, tasks and appointments between desktop, server, and mobile device just got a lot more functional, and much easier.