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A Web Based Solution to Replace Exchange?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the a-break-from-the-redmond-mold dept.

benthemeek asks: "A friend of mine works for a company that has more than 6k users connecting to a Outlook exchange server instance through VPN from various homes all across the country. The executives at his company would like to move to Active Directory and a web based solution for these users. When Outlook Web Access was priced out, it was judged very expensive and they opened the floor to other options. They want a LDAP enabled, web based email and calendar that could hopefully plug in or replace Exchange, and if the solution can be load balanced between more than one server to ensure reliability and uptime, that would be even better. Slashdot readers come from many walks of life and I am sure some of you have gone through a similar experience and could give some insight to this problem. The fan boy in me would like to see a complete Open Source to meet this need, but that may not be possible. Have any of you done similar migrations, and to what solution did you go to?"

3 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Try CommuniGate Pro by k.ellsworth · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have been using communigate Pro since some years and with the mapi plugin you even get the outlook features running. also communigate includes a PBX and SIP support with no extra licenses

    It does have LDAP services included/external support

    It is paid, but is lot cheaper than exchange. and runs over whatever platform you like even QNX, BeOS, etc...

    --
    Putting a windows cd backwards, plays evil messages, but it gets worse, putting it right, installs windows.
  2. Zimbra by PineHall · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I think Zimbra would meet your needs.

  3. Sun!!! by Iaughter · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I don't know why Sun isn't more popular in the slashbot and open source crowds.

    Zimbra? Come on people, you want me to trust my user's email to a web2.0 company? what the hell?

    Horde? For a user-base of this size? That's crazy! Where are you going to find enterprise-class support for a mediocre php web app framework?

    The decent alternatives are Open Xchange, or Hula Server

    But none of these compare to Sun's Messenging Server. Calendaring, IM, mail, all standards-compliant (even to the backend ldap server), all open-source. It integrates with outlook. It's backed up by a global corporation and is certified to run on Solaris, Red Hat, HP-UX and Windows. *

    I don't understand why people even look at some of these other mail/calendar systems, let alone ignore this offering from Sun. Seriously, will someone answer that? (Sure it's not GPL'd, but Zimbra?)

    *I do not work for sun.