What do I need to know about email accounts?

Updated: March 30, 2011

Applies To: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

A hosted email solution is configured on your server. A solution from a hosted email provider, such as Microsoft Online, can provide individual email accounts for network users. When you run the Add a User Account Wizard in Windows SBS 2011 Essentials to create a user account, the wizard attempts to add the user account to the available hosted email solution. At the same time, the wizard assigns an email name (alias) to the user, and sets the maximum size of the mailbox. The maximum size of the mailbox varies depending on the email provider that you use. After adding the user account, you can continue to manage the mailbox alias and quota information from the properties page for the user. For full management of your user accounts and hosted email provider, use the management console of your hosted provider. Depending on your provider, you can access their management console either from a web-based portal, or from a tab in the server Dashboard.

The alias that you provide when you run the Add a User Account Wizard is sent to the hosted email provider as the suggested name for the user alias. For example, if the user alias is “FrankM”, then the user’s email address might be FrankM@Contoso.com.

In addition, the password that you set for the user in Add a User Account Wizard will be the initial password of the user in the hosted email solution.

Finally, if you delete the user by using the Delete a User Account Wizard on the server, the wizard also sends a request to the hosted email provider to delete the user from their system as well. The provider may delete both the user’s account and the email that is associated with the account.

For user information about how to set up required email client software, or how to access an email account, refer to the help documentation provided by your hosted email provider.