SMTP server to send email to customers

Hi...from time to time we send out the seasonal promotion email to our
existing customers, currently outsource the service, but due to the
cost, we are thinking of bring it in house.

Thinking of set up a saparated SMTP server, in order not to upset our
exchange server/internal network, let me draw a picture of the setups:
1) a new ADSL connection
2) a firewall
3) a separeted subnet behind the new ADSL
4) a stand alone Windows 2003 server with SMTP service enable or IIS
installed, DNS server points to a the ISP's DNS server.
5) an ASP page to send mail batch from our CRM system.

Will this work?
Is there any limitation on how many messages to be in queue at the
same time?
How would I evaluate the speed/amount of the messages being delivered?
How could it not to be labelled as SPAM by other servers?
Do I actually has to set up a separated subnet in the above steps?
What happend if the SMTP server is at the same domain as Exchange?
Will it change the way how Exchange server sending the email now?

A long question, thanks for the patient.

Fshguo.

On 19 Apr 2005 18:40:38 -0700, guo.daniel.RemoveThis@gmail.com (fshguo) wrote:

 >Hi...from time to time we send out the seasonal promotion email to our
 >existing customers, currently outsource the service, but due to the
 >cost, we are thinking of bring it in house.
 >
 >Thinking of set up a saparated SMTP server, in order not to upset our
 >exchange server/internal network, let me draw a picture of the setups:
 >1) a new ADSL connection
 >2) a firewall
 >3) a separeted subnet behind the new ADSL
 >4) a stand alone Windows 2003 server with SMTP service enable or IIS
 >installed, DNS server points to a the ISP's DNS server.
 >5) an ASP page to send mail batch from our CRM system.
 >
 >Will this work?

Yes. If you configure everything correctly of course.

 >Is there any limitation on how many messages to be in queue at the
 >same time?

No. Though Microsoft's SMTP is not the fastest in bulk mailing
situations.

 >How would I evaluate the speed/amount of the messages being delivered?

Testing.

 >How could it not to be labelled as SPAM by other servers?

In all likely hood, it will be by some. If you have an ADSL
connection you're already at a disadvantage. If it's a dynamic IP
your almost surely dead in the water. Beyond that, don't make it
SPAM. Uee appropriate headers, identifiers, reverse DNS, MX records,
no BCC's to the list, etc.

 >Do I actually has to set up a separated subnet in the above steps?

No.

 >What happend if the SMTP server is at the same domain as Exchange?

What do you want to happen? The configuration changes, but that's it.
Of course you don't mention *where* your Exchange server is in the
above descirption. You could even send out with Exchange's SMTP.

 >Will it change the way how Exchange server sending the email now?

Maybe. Since we don't know how it's sending now, there's no way to
tell. And since we don't know how you'll configure these, we again
can't tell. It doesn't need to, or it can, all your choice.

 >A long question, thanks for the patient.

Might look at using a bulk mailing service instead for this.

Jeff<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->