For the first two parts of this review series, please view the following links:
Practically Replacing Microsoft Exchange Server - A 3 Part Series - 1 of 3 Practically Replacing Microsoft Exchange Server - A 3 Part Series - 2 of 3 - Zimbra Collaboration Suite Kerio MailServer 6.5 - The Exchange Killer
Kerio MailServer, like Zimbra, has until only recently been an ‘almost but not quite’ Exchange alternative. It has offered Outlook support and integration with Active Directory since 2002, but did not initially support groupware features such as calendaring and shared contacts properly until years later.
**** Zimbra Collaboration Suite - A Full Exchange Replacement
For a long time, Zimbra has been an ‘almost but not quite’ Exchange alternative - it offered the web GUI and the Outlook compatibility, but not the standards based calendar protocol (CalDAV) or the mobile device support of its big brother. Zimbra’s latest version, which has only been in the wild for a few months, is different.
Client Software Compatibility
Zimbra provides an Outlook connector enabling Windows users to continue using the app they were trained on.
Part 1 of 3: Workgroup/Corporate Collaboration - The Phantom Menace
For years, workgroups and corporate environments have needed a solution that combined a mailsystem with collaborative tools, like a calendar and shared contacts. For years, this solution was only provided by Microsoft in the form of Microsoft Exchange. For years, Microsoft Exchange was bar-none the best tool for this job. It supported all the features major enterprises requested, it supported all mobile devices and had an ecosystem of products and support around it that simply made it better than all the alternatives.
