Alternatives to Exchange Server

[Brian Chabot]

Travis Roy wrote:

> I've found just the opposite. At MediaOne we actually used the shared 
> contacts to store procedures (and it worked VERY well). At Burst media 
> we were required to use the calendar function for just about everything, 
> including booking rooms for meetings.

The vast majority of my experience has been in small companies of under 
100 people.  I think this may be the difference.  I've only seen one 
place that used Outlook's calendar and meeting functionality...

> I fought it at first, but once you start using it, the integrated shared 
> calendars in outlook really is very cool, works well, and is probably 
> the single most helpful app when it comes to dealing with meetings and 
> stuff.

The Outlook/Exchange combination is a great example of what I think of 
most of Microsoft's products:  The user interface design is outstanding, 
they (theoretically) do all you need them to do and more, and yet there 
are issues I personally dislike.  (Aside from the price tag.)  The 
complexity of the server and easy to use interface are such that the 
vast majority of admins never know how it really works in the 
background.  This  often leads to shotty management of the server, poor 
performance, and instability.  Sometimes it even leads to massive 
security breeches and data loss.  Outlook has had a poor track record in 
the past, but has gotten better.  In both cases, the configuration 
changes just enough from version to version to make some settings very 
difficult to locate, yet remain so simple that any bonehead can call 
himself an admin.  In all, a great idea beautiful to look at but not 
really worth the price when all is said and done.

> I find web interfaces to not be as "slick" and if you have management 
> that has used outlook in the past then that is what they're going to 
> want. I have looked and looked and I've never found anything out there 
> that is as nice as outlook and MS Exchange. It actually really pains me 
> to say that because in their parts it's not all the complicated and 
> there's lots of F/OSS that does it, just does it in a different way that 
> doesn't seem as nice.

Oh, if I were a software engineer rather than a sysadmin!  The idea of 
an Exchange replacement is one of the first things that comes to mind 
when I think of learning to code properly.  But alas, at this time, I 
just make other people's code work.  I do keep an eye on a few projects 
thqat show potential... PHP/E/Open Groupware for web side and RHEMS for 
the server side.  None of them alone would be considered a full 
Outlook/Exchange replacement for those who use all or most of the 
features... yet.


Brian

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