If you already have an IT infrastructure you may ask yourself why you should outsource your mail archiving to a third party.  It is a valid question that needs to take into account many things.  Most servers and software packages out there can do one or two things well.  Some things okay, and others not so well.  Your mail server may process mail exceptionally, store and forward okay, and just store not so well.  Or any mix of the three.

In modern business you cannot afford to let any of those elements fall below par.  If you lose email processing then your business slows down and then your profit follows.  Other mail server functions are equally as important, but drain the limited resources available to them and storage is a dark art all of its own.

The more you ask of your mail server, the less well it can do other things.  As fast as the processor can work, it still works in cycles and each cycle can only do one thing.

So the answer brings with it a compromise.  You either slow down your email processing by adding overhead to the server.  Add new server(s) and infrastructure to cope with the new workload or outsource it to a SaaS provider.

Each method involves a cost and it depends on your own business model which one works for you.  My vote goes firmly to the outsourcing method though.  It is the solution that involves the least outlay, organisation, upfront expense and lower cost of ownership than the others.  It also takes the hassle out of mail archiving.  I am more than happy to pay someone else to do my worrying for me!