Let's say you're in love with Microsoft Outlook. You think it's the niftiest e-mail program ever. But the thought of licensing an Exchange server sort of makes you sick to your stomach. Acting like virtual Tums to quell your gastric butterflies, Cemaphore Systems is set to offer a subscription-based service that will deliver your e-mail via Google's Gmail system to your Outlook inbox -- no Exchange necessary.

This just might be the perfect solution for companies who are looking for e-mail services on the cheap. MailShadowG takes the software-as-a-service model and applies it to your enterprise e-mail server. Cemaphore says of its own product, "MailShadowG allows you to synchronize your Outlook client with Web-based e-mail service providers like Google's Gmail. This effectively turns Outlook into a universal front-end client for different e-mail systems, reducing infrastructure costs dramatically and making e-mail backup portable and affordable. MailShadowG severs your dependency on the costliest elements of a traditional Exchange backup system."

Too good to be true? Nope.

The benefits of reducing capital expenditure on an entire Exchange set-up speak for themselves. Not only will MailShadowG synchronize e-mail, but also calendars, contacts, and other information that you might normally store in Exchange. Another benefit is relying on Google to host everything. Unless you're diligent about syncing communications records to off-site facilities, the ability to have everything automatically stored off site can save your business in the event of a catastrophe at the home office location.

This also negates the idea for some. Companies that require strictly confidential communications and tightly controlled access to information may not be able to use third-party systems such as Google's.

Still, for the SMB that's looking for an alternative to Exchange, MailShadowG is one option to consider. You can register for a beta version of the service today to take it for a test run.