Considering Whether to Choose Software or Cloud Hosting?

By Susan Brown Faghani
Manager, Marketing and Sales Communication, L-Soft

"LISTSERV software helps my organization because it's stable, secure, familiar, and well-supported. The one piece of server software that I don't have to worry about."

- Adrianne Schutt

“The L-Soft cloud-based list hosting solution is very powerful and easy to use. List management is very easy using the LISTSERV web-based interface."

- Michael Hensley

Decisions, decisions ... as IT and communication professionals, you can choose to either run LISTSERV software on your organization's servers or host your email lists in the cloud on L-Soft's servers under your own domain name. There are key advantages to each option, and you know your needs the best, so check out this helpful guide to find your ideal fit.

Advantages of LISTSERV as Software

• Save Money Long-Term:
  
  For organizations with existing IT resources and a more traditional internal infrastructure, licensing the software is extremely cost-effective. Although the initial cost of a license is higher, there are none of the additional costs associated with Software as a Service. You can create as many lists and send as many messages as you want without any additional fees.
• Get Maximum Flexibility:
  
  Configure your LISTSERV site to meet your organization's exact needs. L-Soft's technical support, training and consulting teams are here to help.
• Keep Full Control:
  
  Stay in complete control of your LISTSERV operations, including the operating system and software environment. This is a must for organizations with complex change management policies.
• Benefit from Smooth Database Integration:
  
  Take advantage of existing databases for dynamic and personalized mailings. You can also use databases and LDAP servers for authenticating credentials and user logins, especially helpful for large or complex organizations.
• Rest Assured with High Security:
  
  In a high-security environment, keeping LISTSERV on site, together with your existing databases, LDAP and Active Directory servers, makes it easier to ensure that your communication system and data are secure.

Advantages of LISTSERV as a Hosted Cloud Service (ListPlex)

• Enjoy Lower Upfront Costs:
  
  For organizations without extensive IT resources and equipment, the cloud service is the quickest method to get your lists set up and the upfront costs are lower. You pay a one-time setup charge, an annual service fee and delivery charges based on how many messages are sent. Full technical support is included. On the surface, hosting can seem less cost-effective, particularly if you have a large workload and send a lot of messages. However, these costs are offset dramatically by the savings realized by not carrying the additional costs of equipment and specialized IT resources.
• Skip the Setup Resources:
  
  There's no need for any special hardware, IT staff, installation or setup. L-Soft's professional technical support services are always available for help and advice to keep your email lists running smoothly.
• Get Up to Speed Fast:
  
  L-Soft configures the service and creates all the lists for you based on your requirements, so no need to spend time learning how to configure your server and set up your email lists.
• Run the Newest Version, Always:
  
  Hosting servers are automatically upgraded whenever new versions are released, so rest assured that you'll always be running the newest versions of LISTSERV and LISTSERV Maestro and benefiting from the latest features and fixes.
• Get High Performance:
  
  L-Soft's hosting servers are engineered for maximum uptime, reliability and scalability. Your email is delivered from dedicated servers, especially tuned for this purpose, using the latest email deliverability and authentication standards.

Next Steps