Simplified Business Communication That Works
Secure, Business-style Email, Calendar & Collaboration made Affordable
As businesses grow, their communication needs must keep pace. Employees require an easy and reliable way to connect with colleagues, customers, prospects, and suppliers. While free email and calendar services exist, they come with privacy trade-offs and ads, making them unsuitable for professional use. Big-brand solutions, whether on-premises or cloud, often bring unnecessary complexity, premium pricing, and extra services that SMBs don’t need, like spreadsheets or document management. For small and medium businesses with limited IT resources and budgets, these options can be overwhelming and inefficient.
Kerio Connect (a GFI Software product) is purpose-built for SMBs, offering secure, business-class email, calendars, contacts, tasks, and instant messaging without the complexity or high cost of larger enterprise solutions. Easy to deploy on Windows, macOS, or Linux in just 20 minutes, it supports both cloud-hosted and on-premises setups, giving businesses flexibility and control. Security features, including encryption, antispam, antivirus, automated backups, and granular restore, are built in, while integrations with Outlook, mobile devices, and client apps ensure seamless usability. With clear pricing, essential features, and powerful management tools, Kerio Connect enables SMBs to save money, stay secure, and collaborate effectively—enterprise-level communication made simple.
| Business-Class Email | Provides a professional and reliable email service with features like shared mailboxes, out-of-office replies, and robust spam filtering. Ensures consistent and efficient email communication. |
| Shared Calendars & Scheduling | Allows easy scheduling of meetings and appointments with colleagues by viewing their availability. Streamlines team collaboration and reduces scheduling conflicts. |
| Contact Management | Provides a central location to store and manage contact information for colleagues, clients, and partners. Simplifies communication and ensures everyone has access to up-to-date contact details. |
| Task Management | Enables the creation, assignment, and tracking of tasks, helping teams stay organised and on schedule. Improves project management and accountability. |
| Instant Messaging (Chat) | Facilitates real-time communication with colleagues, allowing for quick questions and discussions without relying solely on email. Improves team collaboration and responsiveness. |
| Mobile Device Synchronisation | Allows access to email, calendars, contacts, and tasks on smartphones and tablets, ensuring you can stay connected and productive on the go. Supports both iOS and Android devices. |
| Webmail Access | Provides access to your email and collaboration tools from any web browser, allowing you to stay connected even when away from your primary workstation. Offers flexibility and accessibility. |
| Secure Communication | Includes built-in security features like antivirus and anti-spam to protect against email-borne threats. Helps maintain the confidentiality and integrity of business communications. |
| Organised Information | Centralises email, calendars, contacts, and tasks in one platform, making it easier to find and manage your information. Improves efficiency and reduces the time spent searching for data. |
| Simplified Collaboration | Facilitates teamwork through shared calendars, task lists, and instant messaging, improving communication and coordination on projects and day-to-day activities. |
| Recurring Revenue Stream | Kerio Connect’s subscription-based licensing model provides a consistent and predictable revenue stream for resellers through annual or multi-year renewals. Builds a stable and sustainable business model. |
| Value-Added Collaboration Solution | Enables resellers to offer a critical business communication and collaboration platform to their clients, enhancing their product portfolio and increasing their value proposition. Helps attract new clients and strengthen existing relationships. |
| Ease of Deployment and Management | Kerio Connect is known for its relatively straightforward deployment and intuitive web-based administration interface, reducing the support burden on resellers. This allows them to manage more clients efficiently and potentially with less specialised technical expertise. |
| Strong Feature Set for SMBs | Provides clients with a robust set of features specifically tailored to the needs of SMBs, offering a balance of functionality and ease of use without the complexity of enterprise solutions. A strong offering builds trust and client satisfaction. |
| Multi-Platform Support | Supports various operating systems and devices, making it a versatile solution for a wide range of client environments. Expands the potential customer base. |
| Integrated Security Features | The built-in antivirus and anti-spam capabilities add significant value for clients and reduce the need for separate security solutions. Simplifies the IT infrastructure and reduces management overhead. |
| Competitive Pricing for SMB Market | Often positioned as a competitively priced option in the SMB email and collaboration market, allowing resellers to offer cost-effective solutions while maintaining healthy margins. |
| Migration Tools and Support | GFI typically provides tools and resources to assist with migrating clients from other email platforms to Kerio Connect, simplifying the onboarding process. |
| Partner Program Support (Likely) | GFI likely offers a partner program with resources, training, marketing materials, and technical support to help resellers effectively sell and support Kerio Connect. Provides the necessary tools and knowledge for success. |
| Opportunity for Service Offerings | Resellers can offer services around deployment, migration, configuration, ongoing management, and support of Kerio Connect, creating additional revenue streams and strengthening client relationships. |
Kerio Connect’s licensing is primarily based on a per-user subscription model. Here’s a breakdown of how it generally works:
- Subscription Term: You purchase a subscription for a specific period, typically 1, 2, or 3 years.
- Number of Users: The core licensing metric is the number of active mailboxes or users who will be utilising Kerio Connect.
- Server License: In addition to the user licenses, you will need a base server license for the Kerio Connect installation itself. This is a one-time purchase or included in the subscription.
- Optional Add-ons/Features: While the core license covers the essential email and collaboration features, there are optional add-ons or premium features available for an additional cost (e.g., archiving solutions, advanced security features).
- Support and Maintenance: The subscription includes access to technical support and software updates during the subscription period.
- Deployment Options: Kerio Connect can be deployed on-premises (on your own server) or in the cloud (hosted by GFI or a third-party provider). The licensing model varies depending on the deployment option.
- Trial Period: GFI offers a free trial period, allowing potential customers to evaluate the software before committing to a purchase.
Pricing depends on the number of users, the subscription term, the deployment option (on-premises vs. cloud), and any additional features.
To obtain accurate pricing, please contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our authorised resellers.
Kerio Connect competes with other email and collaboration platforms, primarily targeting the SMB market. Here’s a comparison with some key competitors:
Product |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
Target Audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerio Connect (GFI) | User-friendly interface, ease of deployment and management, comprehensive feature set for SMBs, good value for money, on-premises and cloud deployment options | May not have the same level of advanced features or scalability as some enterprise-grade solutions. Market awareness might be lower compared to some larger vendors. | Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) looking for a comprehensive, easy-to-manage, and affordable email and collaboration platform. |
| Microsoft 365 Business | Widely adopted, feature-rich, strong integration with other Microsoft products, robust cloud infrastructure, various plans to suit different needs. | Can be more expensive than Kerio Connect, some plans might include features that SMBs don’t need, can be overwhelming for users with its extensive feature set. | Businesses of all sizes, but particularly well-suited for organisations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem or requiring a very broad feature set. |
| Google Workspace | Cloud-based, strong collaboration features (Docs, Sheets, Slides), seamless integration, user-friendly interface, competitive pricing. | Reliance on internet connectivity, some features might not be as robust as Microsoft 365 in specific areas, data privacy concerns for some organisations. | Businesses of all sizes, particularly those prioritising cloud-based collaboration and integration. |
| Zoho Workplace | Affordable pricing, comprehensive suite of business applications (including email, office suite, CRM), good for budget-conscious businesses, growing feature set. | Feature set might not be as mature or extensive as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, less widely adopted, potential integration limitations with non-Zoho products. | Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and startups looking for a cost-effective and integrated suite of business applications. |
| IceWarp | All-in-one communication and collaboration platform (email, chat, conferencing, document sharing), competitive pricing, on-premises and cloud options, features comparable to Exchange. | Less market recognition compared to larger players, user interface might not be as polished as some competitors, potential complexity with the full feature set. | Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) looking for a comprehensive alternative to Exchange or Microsoft 365 with on-premises or cloud deployment options. |
| simbra Collaboration | Open-source option with commercial support available, flexible deployment options, feature-rich email and collaboration platform, customisable. | Can require more technical expertise to manage, user interface might not be as modern as some cloud-based competitors, potential complexity with customisation. | Organisations looking for an open-source email and collaboration solution with flexibility and customisation options, often those with in-house IT expertise. |
- Kerio Connect is often positioned as a strong, user-friendly, and cost-effective alternative to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, particularly for SMBs. It offers a balance of essential features without the complexity or cost of larger enterprise solutions.
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the dominant players, offering extensive feature sets and broad market adoption, but can be more expensive and complex for some SMBs.