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Exchange Server Migration |
Group ware solution of Linux
NOW IT’S POSSIBLE. It is possible to get a group ware solution of open
source at a fraction of the cost of the commercial solutions available. For
large corporate, groupware solutions are an integral part of their corporate
messaging network.
Why should we go for a solution on open source?
1. As the numbers of users grows the cost become a major factor. Solutions on
open source are generally available at fraction of the cost.
2. In case of product like Microsoft Exchange or any other product based
E-mail server, the organizations are bound with the functionality of the
product. What ever the product has to offer, the user has to accept it. The
case is quite opposite in case of open source based solutions like in case of
QMAIL Based Solution. Open source is generally termed as solution and not the
product, and it finally can be customized according to the organization's
changing email requirement. Typically speaking a product bounds your changing
need, so you should either compromise with it or invest in some other product.
A typical bounding environment can the web interface provided by Microsoft
Exchange. Generally organizations do not tend to use this interface, as it is
too slow. Exchange server does not allow any other web interface or the web
client due to its proprietary nature. Where as E-mail solutions based on open
source like QMAIL or sendmail have ample amount of rugged and fast web
clients, and organizations have choice.
3. Need to have a fast, scalable and fault tolerant system for the E-mail
application. To have such feature, operating system of the E-mail application
server plays a vital role. No doubt Win2k has matured to have these feature
but there is a lot to be done to achieve the objective and make it comparable
to UNIX Operating system. Open sources like QMAIL and Sendmail are based on
UNIX and LINUX clones operating system. Any kind of high traffic and high
volume implementation does take place on UNIX operating system.
4. Organizational need is to have Clustering and Load balancing. To take care
of the changing need of the organization say increase of traffic and load on
the server the performance of the Email application is bound to go down.
Concept of clustering and load balancing play an important role to sort out
issues like these. Linux cluster and load balancing technology is known to
have established itself in the world of critical and real time application.
5. Typically with proprietary groupware solutions, to get the full features,
client has to be from the same company. This increases the cost, and limits
the organization. This is not the case with open source solutions.
6. Proprietary groupware solutions are typically very high resource hungry
application. We need have very high-end resources to deploy this application.
As the numbers of users increases or the traffic rises the hardware resources
need upgradation, which involves forced migration and cost of the hardware.
Seeing the criticality of application it might not matter for some to
upgradation of the hardware but migration is always a pain. In case of Qmail
based environment such situation arrives at in very high delayed interval and
administrators need not to worry about these. As these application is not so
resource hungry.
7. Solutions like Microsoft Exchange are not available on any other Operation
system that bounds and restrict is portability. It does not support open
platform like LDAP etc. In today's world open standard are very much required
at least in terms of connectivity and distributed services.
8. In terms of security and maturity, Q-Mail is far ahead of any other
solution.
9. If carefully designed the Email server like Qmail or Postfix have much
better Relay controls, spam controls, customization of solution etc in place.
You will find the Most of the Email servers placed on the Internet are
deployed on open source technology rather than closed technology like
Microsoft Exchange.
10. There are many integrated products like content filtering, log analysis
tools, MRTG traffic graphs etc can be associated with Microsoft Exchange
server. These tools are required for customizing the solution for the
organization and management for administrators becomes easy. But only problem
is these products are too costly to justify the procurement. Such tools and
much higher integration level can be achieved with open source solutions like
Qmail at almost no cost.
If an organization wants to have a scalable, high performance and futuristic
email application server then it should go in for a messaging server on open
source, that to at a fraction of the cost.
Components of groupware solution, which can be implemented using open source.
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Directory service.
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SMTP service.
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POP3 service
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Global address book
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Internet mail connector
OPEN UP A NEW ERA OF OPEN SOURCE
COMPUTING
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We undertake Pilot projects for
different segments like Government,
Education Institutes and Corporates
for various application under Linux to
help them do a ROI study of their real
life implementations. |
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