Google to discontinue Postini services: Retarus offers Google/Postini customers free migration

Google Inc.’s announcement that it will shut down Postini services at the end of 2013 and migrate Postini customers to Google Apps is causing uncertainty among professional users. Analysts are advising anyone concerned to check out the possibility of migrating to an alternative provider. Starting today, Retarus is offering Google/Postini customers a free, automated and secure switchover to their Managed E-Mail Services. Retarus’ Managed E-Mail Services fulfill all business requirements, including those concerning data security, data protection and legal compliance. Furthermore, Retarus’ Managed E-Mail Services clearly surpass Postini’s mail service standards.

“As a result, we’re offering Postini customers the opportunity to seamlessly transfer their mail services, including central functions and settings, to Retarus Managed Mail Services, all in an efficient and problem-free manner.”

Five years after Google took over Postini services, the company has now announced that it will discontinue them at the end of 2013 and no contract renewals will be accepted after October 31, 2012. Postini customers will be directed to a new service which is currently being implemented as a part of Google Apps. Experts consider switching to another mail service provider inevitable as Google Apps does not meet core requirements regarding central compliance and data protection. Companies which send and receive documents automatically by email using business applications such as CRM and ERP systems also experience considerable problems.

“The termination of Postini services is a considerable inconvenience for many companies as migration to Google Apps is not at all unproblematic as regards business efficiency,” says Martin Hager, founder and CEO of Retarus. “As a result, we’re offering Postini customers the opportunity to seamlessly transfer their mail services, including central functions and settings, to Retarus Managed Mail Services, all in an efficient and problem-free manner.”

It is true that several Postini functions and settings have no equivalent in Google Apps, such as user-specific configured black- and whitelists, or individually determined spam thresholds. Even functions such as the daily digest email, which informs users about filtered spam mail, do not exist on Google Apps.

Companies will be able to retain their usual functions and tried-and-tested configurations, including user-specific settings, when migrating from Postini to Retarus’ Managed E-Mail Services. Retarus transfers customized settings upon agreement with the customer and configures Managed E-Mail Services according to their requirements.

Users will be able to continue using their mail services without any problems and benefit from additional advantages offered by Retarus. These include convenient administration, detailed monitoring, a web-based multilingual administration portal with comprehensive configuration possibilities as well as round-the-clock direct support from the service provider’s qualified specialists in Germany and eleven international subsidiaries.

In addition, Retarus Managed E-Mail Services provide considerable advantages as regards data security and compliance. Customers always retain control over the country-specific regulations to be observed and whether the data processed in Retarus data centers within the European Union is transferred to the United States or solely processed outside of the US. Retarus also offers a series of solutions for the secure processing of emails. Companies which rely on encrypted email may use Retarus Mail Encryption, which offers multiple encryption methods – from TLS to S/MIME.