It’s all so easy to save email messages. You don’t have to do a thing – except not delete them. All those notes you glance at and all those newsletters you vow to read when you have a spare moment can sit there for years and years and just take up space. But when you run out of space, it’s a problem.

The problem is that you’ll get a notification that you’re out of email storage space – which means you won’t be able to receive messages sent to you. We’re getting an increasing number of calls from clients who have exhausted their storage capacity.

Let’s put it in perspective.

The standard for email storage space is 50 gigabytes, and it was set by Microsoft for its Outlook and what’s now Microsoft 365 for more than 10 years. When it was established, the thought was: how could anyone need more? The short answer is email is ubiquitous because it’s so easy to use.

We use it personally to send messages (usually with attachments) to individuals or groups. Sometimes, the messages will build up because we think we’ll get around to reading them more closely or responding when we have time. We tend to keep them around after we reply, and if you have a group conversation, many responses include the original and all subsequent messages. The bytes add up. Also, everyone uses email. Do you know anyone who doesn’t have at least one email address?

Businesses and non-profits use email extensively to reach out to customers, patients, clients, and patrons with marketing materials, reminders, etc. Even internally within an organization, emails form a paper trail that’s so important in documenting activities and processes.

There’s no single reason why email storage fills up, and there’s no one-size-fits-all method to deal with the problem. Options include:

• Buy more space. We can put you on an email plan that raises your capacity to 100 gigabytes.
• Delete emails. You won’t have to put money out of your pocket, but when you get the notification of no more room at the inn, the deletion process can become a mini-crisis or worse.
• Set up an archiving system. There are numerous ways to set up a plan, and we find it’s best to let us help you do it.

You can quickly check how close you are to full capacity when you are in Outlook. Simply click on File in the upper left corner of your Outlook screen and then look at the third major heading: Mailbox Settings. There should be a bar showing how much free space you have. If you have less than 5 gigs free, keep a close eye on capacity. If you have less than 2 gigs, call us right away. You should have called us last week if you have less than 1 gig.

The sooner you can manage your email storage issue – if there is one – the easier it will be to maintain your everyday routines, especially if you are a business. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to schedule an appointment to assess your email system and set up a program to manage it better.