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>How about this:
>1. It needs to have a client/server architecture (for mobile clients who don't
>have always-on connectivity). Pure web-based calendars don't do this.

Agree 100%. That is why we use OpenGroupware. Support for common protocols as well as a great API - http://code.google.com/p/zogi/ - we've integrated OGo into our company Intranet for scheduling & workflow as well as built a very effective CRM tool which sits on top of the excellent groupware engine provided by OGo for universal access to all the data, one calendar, one task list, etc... Fabulous.

Want screenshots?
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddv5htgd_14zrg6zm&hl=en
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddv5htgd_12gqn63p&hl=en
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddv5htgd_8c225bq&hl=en
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddv5htgd_4dpzjmz&hl=en
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddv5htgd_0sb385m&hl=en

I'm also working on a .NET fat client - Consonance
http://code.google.com/p/consonance/
http://docs.opengroupware.org/Members/whitemice/consonance/ConsonanceLogin/image_view
http://docs.opengroupware.org/Members/whitemice/consonance/ConsonanceTaskWindow/image_view
http://docs.opengroupware.org/Members/whitemice/consonance/ConsonanceScreenshotContacts/image_view

There is NO other *truly* Open Source groupware server than can do what OpenGroupware can do.

> 2. It needs to have Windows and Linux clients.

Ok

> 3. Outlook plug-ins don't work. This is a limitation of Outlook. The plug-in
> can't be the default calendar, and Outlook will only pop up reminders for the
> default calendar. Also, my experience of OpenGroupware's plug-in is that it is unstable.

Sorry to hear that, it has worked pretty well for us. Although we only have a few users. I work with another shop that has lots of users, and they've been successful. Have you contacted Skyrix support? You very much need to keep the connector up to date as Outlook and the MAPI tags it uses evolve at Microsoft's discretion.

If you aren't willing to use a plugin (and ZideLook is a MAPI provider, many plugins are just miserable PST sync things) then I'm afraid you have to abandon Outlook or use Exchange.

ZideOne, an alternative Outlook provider, is scheduled for release at the end of Q4 2007. http://www.zideone.com/
ZideOne will provide access to any CalDAV / GroupDAV server.

Alternatively to that you can use Thunderbird / Lightning with OpenGroupware using the GroupDAV connectors provided from the SOGo project.
http://www.inverse.ca/english/contributions/sogo_connector.html
That should also work, I believe, with the Citadel groupware server.

> 4. It needs to have a means for one person to schedule an event on
> someone-else's calendar (if the appropriate permissions are given).

OpenGroupware does that.

> 5. It needs to have a way for people to view the details of other
> people's calendars (if the appropriate permissions are given).

OpenGroupware does that.

>Free/Busy information is not enough i

Don't forget SOGo, still in development though:
      http://www.inverse.ca/contributions/sogo.html

We are currently developing a full-featured, professional-grade, Calendar (actually "groupware") server. It is based on standards such as CalDAV and even CardDAV (which has no RFC yet). The implementation of those is not yet complete but we are getting there. So it works well with Thunderbird/Lightning but not yet with Apple iCal.

Also, the web interface provides a look similar in look and feel to the Mozilla applications. We did this in order to provide a good integration between the user environments (web interface and Mozilla clients) and to provide a simple yet useable interface....

The software can be downloaded from http://www.inverse.ca/contributions/sogo.html. Also, you can play with it on http://sogo-demo.inverse.ca/.

We are currently developing a full-featured, professional-grade, Calendar (actually "groupware") server. It is based on standards such as CalDAV and even CardDAV (which has no RFC yet). The implementation of those is not yet complete but we are getting there. So it works well with Thunderbird/Lightning but not yet with Apple iCal.

Also, the web interface provides a look similar in look and feel to the Mozilla applications. We did this in order to provide a good integration between the user environments (web interface and Mozilla clients) and to provide a simple yet useable interface....

The software can be downloaded from http://www.inverse.ca/contributions/sogo.html. Also, you can play with it on http://sogo-demo.inverse.ca/.

> I'm not familiar whith those replacements that work with PDAs. Can you pls name them for me?

Not to be a jerk, but you haven't looked very hard.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/410688/bionicmessage-GroupWare-sync-server-install-gude

There are several (OpenGroupware, SOGo, Citadel, and others) groupware servers that support GroupDAV. Funambol will sync with everything but the kitchen sink [pun intended].

http://www.funambol.com/opensource/

There is a GroupDAV plugin for Thunderbird @ http://www.inverse.ca/english/contributions/thunderbird_groupdav_plugin.html

And several of the Open Source groupware servers, including OpenGroupware, are feature competitive with proprietary solutions like Microsoft Exchange.

> It's true that with OOo and Thunderbird's plugin architecture,
> you would soon see it supporting other groupware solutions,

It already supports GroupDAV for shared addressbooks
http://www.inverse.ca/english/contributions/thunderbird_groupdav_plugin.html

This works with multiple groupware servers including OpenGroupware, SOGo, and Citadel.

You might want to look at the Inverse edition of Scalable OpenGroupware.org (SOGo) at http://www.inverse.ca/english/contributions/sogo.h tml

>Since when has Exchange+Outlook been the business standard? It isn't a standard of anything,
>not even a de facto one. As much as it hurts to say, both Novell Groupwise and IBM Lotus
>Notes are far superior groupware applications.

Not to mention there are real Open Source alternatives for groupware.

http://www.opengroupware.org/

And you can continue to use Thunderbird - http://www.inverse.ca/english/contributions/thunde rbird_groupdav_plugin.html

>If only we could convince someone to write the Exchange competitor on an open database...

Done.

http://www.inverse.ca/english/contributions/thunde rbird_groupdav_plugin.html
http://www.groupdav.org/
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/24/172207

Pick from one of several groupware servers.