I'm wondering if web hosts have been on a lookout to outsource their email to a third party, just as some do for say backups.

The quest here is to find out what is an 'acceptable' pricing model? Is it based on per user per month basis? it is space? is its traffic+space+messages-processed? It is a "bulk" arrangement (slab pricing)?

Somehow I've not been able to come across email host providers who will do the whole 9 years (spam, antivirus, filtering, rDNS, DNSBL checks, etc. etc. etc.) for a price that is affordable for web hosts.

The prices I have come across are too expensive to consider outsourcing? Sure there must be someone out there offering such services for web hosts - or am I just not googling it correctly.

FK

There are a number of places that do everything you ask for; they're usually advertised as "complete" or "integrated" anti-spam solutions, rather than email providers, from what I've seen.

The downside, as you've discovered, is that none of them are really economic as outsourced email services for what so many like to refer to as "today's hosting market".

You can get good outsourced email, or cheap outsourced email. Pick one. :)

Well I'm certainly not looking for cleansing services (the type that scrub malicious traffic, spam, etc. on the incoming email). I'm looking at a totally outsourced (hosted) solution, where by the emails and the ancillary services coupled with email are offered as one.

Everyone.net , and webmail.us seem to be the largest right now.... I've used everyone.net for at least 4 years now and they are great. Some of the best uptime I've ever seen.

I've been using Reflexion Total Control coupled with my own mail servers. It works quite well, it is affordable and profitable. It could be setup as a total outsourced solution but I don't think they've considered offering it that way. I should ask them. Hmm... this gives me an idea.