Help me avoid Exchange

[Paul Lussier]

Mark Komarinski <mkomarinski at wayga.org> writes:

> 1)  Why use exchange?  No really.  If all you want is an IMAP server,
> what is the reason for using Exchange?

All *engineering* wants is an IMAP server.  The business side already
has an Exchange server.  The basic argument is, "Why can't Engineering
just use the Exchange server as an IMAP server?".

> 2)  What is the cost/benefit analysis?  Exchange isn't free, nor are
> some of the backup applications you use to back up it's database, nor is
> the maintenance time required to keep a Windows box up and patched.
> Assume hardware costs are constant (same box running the IMAP server)
> and then calculate from there - how much to back up the data, how much
> maintenance required, how long to create/remove users.

Ahhh, backup/restores, I hadn't considered that angle.  That's a good
one.  Currently we back up using amanda which is quick and easy to
back up to, Exchange isn't that easy :)

> If you're using calendaring, well you're kinda stuck.  I've never gotten
> Evolution to work with our Exchange server, and even if it did, it
> doesn't support many of the calendaring features you get in Outlook.  I
> run Outlook in a VMware machine so my calendar works, and this is after
> fighting with Entourage (Mac client that uses the same protocol as
> Evolution) for the better part of a year.

Yeah, don't get me started on Entourage.  I've been there before.
Ever tried using that as an IMAP client?  It can't do that right either !

-- 

Seeya,
Paul