Any Linux Alternative to Exchange and Outlook?

T

TiTON

Gawd
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Messages
598
Hey Guys,

We are slowly migrating our Windows Environment to a Linux Based Environment. One of the sticky point we have is with Exchange and Outlook. I wanted to see if anyone had some recommendation or experienece in this area.

Here is what I am looking for:

1. Linux Based alternative to Exchange and Outlook.
2. Mail client must run on Windows platform.
3. Non Web Based client
4. Main Features Mail and Scheduling / Calendaring
5. Approx 100 users
6. No Need to Roll Over / Migrate old exchange data

If anyone can point me in the right direction, it would greatly be appreciated.

- SAD
 
SuAsDu said:
Hey Guys,

We are slowly migrating our Windows Environment to a Linux Based Environment. One of the sticky point we have is with Exchange and Outlook. I wanted to see if anyone had some recommendation or experienece in this area.

Here is what I am looking for:

1. Linux Based alternative to Exchange and Outlook.
2. Mail client must run on Windows platform.
3. Non Web Based client
4. Main Features Mail and Scheduling / Calendaring
5. Approx 100 users
6. No Need to Roll Over / Migrate old exchange data

If anyone can point me in the right direction, it would greatly be appreciated.

- SAD
Click to expand...

1 - Postfix & Thunderbird / Evolution
2 - Thunderbird / Outlook
3 - Yes
4 - Postfix = MTA ONLY. For scheduling and Calendaring, use this on the same server.
5 - Postfix can handle tens of thousands.
6 - It can if you want to.
 
Hey thank you so much for the quick reply.

I actually have postfix running right now as a simple mail relay. I will look to see if I can increase the robustness of postfix.

Is it hard to integrate postfix to microsof AD?

- SAD
 
Why are you wanting to migrate away from Exchange/Outlook?
Anyway, for that many users have you considered a Xserve and using Thunderbird+Ligtning for the clients?
 
I hesitantly suggest Zimbra for the server side (but from my experiences, Zimbra doesn't scale real well). Thunderbird for the client.
 
Thanks for al lthe insight.. Thunderbird for clients looks to be the way we will go.

I never used thunderbird before.. Will it work with Exchange? I want to test the functionality w/ my own mailbox for a few days.

As for server.. I am looking at potentially the Postfix route. This may seem to be the painless approach. I read that postfix can use a "Fetch" method to get data from Exchange server.. so that means I can so a slow migration.

I did look at Scalix as a solution, but the pricing model is terrible. The benefit is that you can use Outlook at the front end, and scalis for the backend.

Thanks again for all the input.

SAD
 
SuAsDu said:
Hey Guys,

We are slowly migrating our Windows Environment to a Linux Based Environment. One of the sticky point we have is with Exchange and Outlook. I wanted to see if anyone had some recommendation or experienece in this area.

Here is what I am looking for:

1. Linux Based alternative to Exchange and Outlook.
2. Mail client must run on Windows platform.
3. Non Web Based client
4. Main Features Mail and Scheduling / Calendaring
5. Approx 100 users
6. No Need to Roll Over / Migrate old exchange data

If anyone can point me in the right direction, it would greatly be appreciated.

- SAD
Click to expand...
It seems like you are looking for a groupware application, not email server.
Check out Citadel and use Evolution as the client.

good luck.
 
i was going to say Zimbra is the only one i know of, but all my experience with zimbra has been pretty bad. all the real estates near me get email and listings through one company, and they use zimbra, it sucks imo.

exchange is hard to beat, imo
 
Hey gusy.. thanks for the input once again.

I do agree Exchange and Outlook is hard to beat, but we have made a decision as a firm to move away from MS. MS licensing has gone crazy, and no one really know how it works, not even the large vendors. As the company grow, compliance will just be come more difficult.

I will keep everyone posted :)

- SAD
 
SuAsDu said:
Hey gusy.. thanks for the input once again.

I do agree Exchange and Outlook is hard to beat, but we have made a decision as a firm to move away from MS. MS licensing has gone crazy, and no one really know how it works, not even the large vendors. As the company grow, compliance will just be come more difficult.

I will keep everyone posted :)

- SAD
Click to expand...
Maybe you need to look at a new vendor. I've never had any issues getting a straight answer from my vendors on MS Licensing. Yes it can get ugly but it's their job to know the answer.

I applaud your company for being willing to go open source and I'm far from a MS fan, however, Exchange is one thing I will always suggest over any other solution.
 
SuAsDu said:
Hey gusy.. thanks for the input once again.

I do agree Exchange and Outlook is hard to beat, but we have made a decision as a firm to move away from MS. MS licensing has gone crazy, and no one really know how it works, not even the large vendors. As the company grow, compliance will just be come more difficult.

I will keep everyone posted :)

- SAD
Click to expand...


I 100% agree with this. Microsoft have made a real mess of their licensing, even the "licensing team" don't know what they are doing. I have to call them 3 times and average out their answer.

Installing new servers these days is 30% planning and costing, 10% purchasing the hardware, 20% install and 40% messing around trying to understand the microsoft licensing.
 
supergper said:
Maybe you need to look at a new vendor. I've never had any issues getting a straight answer from my vendors on MS Licensing. Yes it can get ugly but it's their job to know the answer.

I applaud your company for being willing to go open source and I'm far from a MS fan, however, Exchange is one thing I will always suggest over any other solution.
Click to expand...

Yeah.. i tried a few of my large vendor, and I give them scenarios.. and they are like.. "I got to get back to you on it".. its just frustrating.. CALs suck :p and we don't have the cash or size to buy the corporate versions.

We are just trying to move away from MS before our server OS and apps go EOL.

Let me tell you a funny story about MS licensing..

We have a SQL Server. Nothing special. Eventhough you purchase SQL server, you still need SQL Cals for users to access the box (to be in compliance).

I told the rep.. hey.. NO ONE accesses SQL directly. Our inhouse apps access the server, but not the user. Can I just get one Device Cal? THey said NOPE.. you need a CAL for everyone that gets data from that box. So I go. .ok.. that will be X number of cals I need to buy.

Then I go.. how about our website? We have customers that access the website to get data from our SQL Server. Do I need CALs for each customer too? <SILENCE> You will need the CPU license.. which is like 10K each processor. And I have Dual Quad Cores.. so that is $20k.

That type of situation is SOO frustrating... i've gotten similar responses from several LARGE vendors from their supposedly MS Licensing experts.

So we have started an initiviate to slowly migrate away completely from Microsoft.

- SAD

PS - working on configuring Thunderbird to get email from Exchange :) Then I will pass it off to a few users for testing.
 
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