One of the biggest internal battles I have is whether to host my email locally on my 16mb/2mb network, source it out to the web host, or use a specialized webmail company. I like that feeling of control, the fact that I know I could set up any anti spam and virus filtering service I wanted if I fully controlled my e-mail. However, if my internet service goes down, or I have a power outage, no email! I’ve always liked to tinker with my own servers as well – but I think getting a full rack mount solution is just outside of my budget. 
Solution for Small to Medium sized Businesses
Enter Perimetec. Perimetec’s combination of products and services was one of the main reasons why I spent so much time on their site when I first visited it. First off, their Email Spam Blocker service looks pretty cool. For $2.50 a month per mailbox, I can get usage of this service -basically an account on their Barracuda appliance. (Looks like you can get a discount if you sign up for a year.) Not only will this provide me with top of the line spam filtering, it will even queue email if my service goes down. (Hrm… Maybe I should start looking at that whole closet set up I have again… can that old 450mhz box handle my mail load?). Add-ons to the service include DNS management and Webmail.
Products for those with their own systems
If you’re more on the ball than I am, and have everything all set to go in your closet/computer room/server farm, then check out Perimetec’s Barracuda Anti Spam products. Touting what appears to be the full line of Barracuda products, it looks like Perimetec’s in a good place to offer good deals on their line.
What would I do?
Lets be honest – free trials are awesome – but they’re usually short. Too short. Perhaps you’ve not even had a chance to use a Barracuda product before either. Whether you’re just a small business or looking to get your own system, sign up for the service first. For $2.50 a month on an email account, you can check out the type of service your own appliance will give you. Then, when you’re ready to take beef up your Email Spam Protection, definitely consider upgrading with Perimetec.
In the past I have had many issues with personal email servers (and hosted) getting blacklisted by AOL and Yahoo, and since it was a small provider, the large companies refused to work with us to get our IP removed from their list. Since then, I have used Gmail hosted for my email, and have only had 1 issue with email being blocked. The best part was that Google fought the battle for me and it was resolved immediately.
I think that there are places for pay-for services like this, but most of the businesses I have worked for, or setup with email, Gmail hosted works perfectly – and it is free.
With Google continually adding functionality (like IMAP access a year ago) I really don’t see a reason for most small/medium sized businesses to go with a pay-for service … unless you have some concerns about privacy, and feel that Google has not properly addressed those issues. Personally, I love Gmail, Google Docs and Google Calendar and try to steer businesses towards them whenever possible.
Just MHO