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There is an interesting piece of software called FirstClass. It has advantages and disadvantages, as does any system. However, one of the biggest problems I see with this software is that under OSX it hogs %100 of the CPU, even when not doing anything.

The developers need to sort this out. This is an example of people thinking that their software package is the most important package which will be running and therefore should have full access to resources.

***** PLEASE IF YOU WORK AT OPENTEXT RESOLVE THIS ISSUE *****

Urgh, I always forget to format messages on Slashdot.
the URL should be http://www.firstclass.com/

FirstClass ( http://www.firstclass.com/ ), I mentioned this software in the main reply, but it also supports Palm Sync (syncs mail, calendar, addressbook, todo-list, and memos). You can share calendars, addresbooks, and conferences (more intelligent than folders).

  Shared addressbooks do not sync up, but you could place your addresbook on your secretaries/spouses FirstClass Desktop, and give them permissions to view, or add addresses.

  It is a little expensive (not compared to Exchange) but there is a free 5 user version (server and client run on Windows, Linux, and OSX)

  If your office upgrades to the FirstClass Voice Services you can listen to your voicemail in Email, view faxes in EMail, or listen to your Email/calendar/addressbook over the phone! Awsome stuff!
  -Ben

FirstClass Groupware http://www.firstclass.com/ is not opensource, or free (except the 5 user version), but the server AND the clients will run on Windows, OSX, or Linux. There are also web and telnet interfaces available. This is a great GroupWare platform, with EASY client setup, and the three platforms look identical to the end user. This software also allows database (ODBC) integration and a VoiceMail piece.

With http://firstclass.com/ for group messaging.

Works for an org I know that manages 1000+ staff members...

I hate to say this, but I would seriously consider http://www.firstclass.com/casestudies/Business/ with some sort of anti-spam http://www.barracudanetworks.com/ns/?L=en infront of it.

The only serious problems I have with it:
-lack of true RIM support
-hard to find quality administrators

But it has all the functionality you could possibly need and it Just Works.

http://www.firstclass.com/

A long time ago I used to work for the company that made the software, so perhaps I'm biased. However, this offers the same functionality as Exchange/Notes and a whole lot more. Unified messaging is the heart of this product, but the featureset is staggering. Server support on Linux/Windows/OSX, client support for each, as well as web/phone/pda/etcetera.

I could go on and on about the features, but http://www.firstclass.com/AboutFC/ has a tonne of information to peruse and it will do a better job of informing you than I will.

Do yourself a favour and at least look at the features before settling on some other product that will offer either less functionality, or a much higher price point.

JA

http://www.firstclass.com/

A long time ago I used to work for the company that made the software, so perhaps I'm biased. However, this offers the same functionality as Exchange/Notes and a whole lot more. Unified messaging is the heart of this product, but the featureset is staggering. Server support on Linux/Windows/OSX, client support for each, as well as web/phone/pda/etcetera.

I could go on and on about the features, but http://www.firstclass.com/AboutFC/ has a tonne of information to peruse and it will do a better job of informing you than I will.

Do yourself a favour and at least look at the features before settling on some other product that will offer either less functionality, or a much higher price point.

JA

They've overlooked FirstClass, probably because it's a Canadian product and not well known in the USA (big in parts of Europe, though). Recently acquired by OpenText, FirstClass features unbelievable solidity and scalability; it provides email and web server, groupware, and unified messaging in a simple, easily managed client/server package. Brought to you by the folks who created Meridian mail. Supports Mac and Wintel, though I couldn't tell you whether the Linux project is out of beta yet. Don't take my word for it, though. Download it for free and play around with it. The only limitation is the number of seats (5); you have to pay for additional licenses.

This is the idea behind FirstClass (from the artist formerly known as Softarc, then Centrinity, now the FirstClass division of OpenText). Longtime Mac users, Scandinavians, or alumni of certain universities may recognize what I'm talking about.

FirstClass is a multiplatform client-server setup that incorporates intra- and internet servers (WWW, email, etc.), groupware (conferencing, calendaring, shared resources, file and contact management, etc.), instant messaging, and the best unified messaging I've ever seen. It's like a more capable version of MS or Novell groupware, plus unified messaging, but way more manageable and scalable (think 100 000 users on an NT4 box administered by one part-time administrator, just for one example).

Why it's not better known is quite beyond me. Don't take my word for it, though; download the free trial and check it out for yourself. It's not time-limited or anything, it's not crippleware - it's a full-function server. The only limitation is licenses (you get five user licenses, any more have to be purchased).

And no, I don't work for them. I don't even stand to gain financially from increased business. I just think, based on what I've seen, that it's a great product. Cheers!

Yeah, but then I'd be stuck running Novell. Frankly, I'd be happy if they let me run my own little FirstClass setup and left me alone.

"Future Outlook versions might integrate the nested interface for e-mail conversations"

Funny thing ... there are groupware products out there that do this right now. Outgoing and incoming messages threaded together rather than separated with the useless distinction between Inbox and Outbox. E-mail and discussion groups (and more recently, voice mail and fax) all using the same threaded interface. FirstClass has been doing it this way since 1989. Others have been doing it for just about as long. It may be ground-breaking for Microsoft, this ain't exactly a new concept!

on steroids?

first class

maybe, maybe not.

not sure if firstclass' client is just a halfway implementation of a qt interface, but the dialogs really are ugly, mostly because of the unsmoothed fonts.

but, boy, is it nice not to have to boot to windows to retrieve my class assignments! I can't say I'm even bothered that it's binary-only...

tangent: I'm pretty sure that the linux client was only developed as an outgrowth of their OSX client development -- is this only an isolated example, or is OSX really exerting a pressure for more *nix app development? if so, it seems like OSX might end up being the market force that pushed linux into the mainstream.

they were bought out; then it was made known that OSX would be BSD based; they did a very heavy & intensive port to OSX and developed the linux client in parallel - because it was easier to port OSX code to linux than whatever the hell it was they were doing before.

as a result they've released a working linux client (in the meantime they were bought out again). they're finishing the OSX server and claim that the linux/unix servers are not far behind.

(firstclass)

I really, really, hope that the winers never get their emulator optimized for wide use. it WILL discourage development of linux software. windows is the only non-*nix OS remaining on the radar screen. why make that last any longer than it has to?

if you want to use windows, do a dual boot. we need all those wine developers working on other opensource projects that won't shoot the OSS movement in the foot.

- amazingly enough, there's no good alert sound to let you know when you've got a new message - no pop-up, no flashing Dock/startmenuthing blinking..

However, what's more annoying is that their web interface isn't all that great (for example, can't select multiple messages for deletion/moving/undeleting/whatever), and they have no client program for Linux and X, only for Mac OS X (and that one is a beta RC1). A Linux version is supposedly under development and scheduled for release in Q4. I'm wishing...

Interestingly enough, they have an IMAP server which almost none of my mail clients were able to log in to (with the proper username/password, of course), but fetchmail can do it, and, by following the RFC, so can I. I haven't bothered to figure out what's wrong yet. Their servers clearly support POP3, but the problem with that is that it does not enable one to use their conferencing.

FirstClass

It's a pretty good email system not perfect but it has worked fine for us. As a groupware system it has calendaring, Global Address book (Everyone in the system can be found just by typing the first few letters of their names) and conferencing.

The Administration for the system is not hard. Easy enough to do that we have delegated most of the administration the less technichal people of our organization. THe user rights controls are also pretty extensive.

One other thing of interest is if I send a message to every user on the system only one copy of the message will exist unless the user makes a copy of the message.

Backup with system allows us to restore on or more mailbox if we choose to.

As for clients it has support on Mac OS, Mac OS X, Windows, and includes a telnet interface and Web interface.

The client works fine for the most part using wine. (Running wine 20001222 and firstclass 5.623)