> -----Original Message-----
 > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Che Vilnonis
 > Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 2:06 PM
 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 > Subject: RE: [IMail Forum] Collaboration is now available :(
 >
 >
 > So, what other Win-based email programs are there that are affordable?
 >
 > ~Che

Please, please, please at least *consider* replacing iMail with an open
source solution.  You'll never get boxed in like this again.  We've been
happily (well, for the most part, except for the lousy webmail bugs)
chugging away on 7.15 for a very long time, with mxGuard/ClamAV/Message
Sniffer added recently.  It's been great, for the most part.  However, we're
moving to a Linux platform next year (for a variety of reasons, outside of
the email server subject), and I'm confident that there are Linux-based
solutions that are free or Very Low Cost that can rival what iMail has
offered... without these types of changes being shoved down our throats.

We totally rejected the idea of moving up to v. 8.x, and have never
regretted that decision.  I've quietly observed the tales that have been
presented on this list as people went through the various Version Eight
point releases... until they ended up with something that was once again
"stable"... and happily said "no thank you".

With this restructure of pricing and offerings at ipswitch, I am now 100%
convinced that our move to an open source solution is going to be the best
thing for US (note, I don't say "for everyone")... it makes it much more
difficult for one or two companies to decide "what's best" for the masses
like this.

Our costs for licensing, now that we can include ipswitch's new "demands",
will now be even LOWER with our move to open source... an even greater
justification for our move.  Yes, ipswitch is not "demanding" that we
upgrade, and we could stay where we are at with 7.15 "forever", but using
just SPF as an example, we can get SPF checking with an open source solution
NOW... whereas ipswitch will NEVER offer it with their current stand-alone
email server versions, and in order to get it with any NEWER versions, we'd
likely have to buy a bunch of "other stuff" we just don't need.  Again, "no
thank you".  That's just one example, of course.

IPSWITCH:  I know that you are (hopefully!) making this decision based on
the data you have available about YOUR company, and what YOU need to do to
remain competitive.  But taking on Microsoft/Exchange is a Bad Idea (tm).
Ipswitch, you have a niche market, and one that's taken very good care of
you.  Exchange has it's place in the world, and so does iMail.  But if you
force the Exchange-like functionality upon current and potential clients,
they're going to be forced to look at Exchange as a real alternative, as
opposed to something that was "overkill" for them... and your product simply
is not nearly as mature. You WILL lose to them, at least for the near
future.

Flame me if you like, but a well-installed and configured Exchange
installation will run circles around your iMail "collaboration" idea, and
will integrate better with outlook than your product ever will.  Microsoft
has spent MILLIONS making Exchange what it is (good AND bad)... I'm betting
you have not, nor will you in the near future.  With this pricing structure,
any educated client is going to make the no-brainer decision... a more
mature product.

I've digressed and ranted... My point here, and my response to the Che's
question is, don't rule out open source, if you are deciding on moving away
from imail... there's more than just WINDOWS out there, and email's been
around a lot longer than windows and windows-based email solutions.  Most of
the "hefty" email systems today have nothing to do with windows at all!

I'm sorry if I offended anyone... but this type of sweeping change by one
company always presses my buttons!

m





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