| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Brian Walker |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 4:58:12 PM
Just noticed this forum, and thought I'd share some recent research done here RE: exchange alternatives
http://www.postpath.com/solutions/
http://www.linux.com/feature/29585
http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/26238/
Of course, there is also qmail, @mail, etc. |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| anthony |
Posted - 11/03/2010 : 08:03:22 AM
OWA's interface while nice and somewhat "similar" to the thick Outlook client - it is not the same as "Outlook" especially when you start needing the very advanced features we are speaking of. Which is what I meant about having the same experience no matter where you access it from. And as far as IE goes, as long as you are not on IE6 I have not noticed any decreased functionality other than speed. Yes, it does run better on Firefox or Chrome - but MOST WEBSITES DO. So that is not a commentary on Gmail - just IE. I have not tried IE9 yet, but it's supposed to be much better.
As for needing folders, once you explain labels to people properly it makes sense and they see the benefits. Also, if you really need "folders" there is a "Nested Labels" add-on within the Labs portion of the settings that allows a "folder" like experience.
But again, the customer is the one who defines what a good fit is. As I said, if you go solely on price - which is what it sounds like, you will not be happy.
I would also say - don't judge it only on the size of the organization. I have 3 person shops that are on hosted Exchange 2010 - and 500 mailbox shops on Google. Both are happy as pie. |
| Pesos |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 5:30:24 PM
Actually I have inherited multiple Google Apps setups and nowhere has it worked well. But people put up with it because the cost is free (for nonprofits). Of course, google keeps altering the features and interface left and right without warning which adds to their frustration.
As for the web interface, Exchange has OWA. OWA 2010 experience is the same from just about any web browser. And gmail's experience is not - the googs pulls a lot of passive-aggressive BS wrt functionality on IE and safari.
Gmail is totally fine for personal email and chat (I use it myself). But business users inevitably want to use insanely advanced features like FOLDERS or SORTING THEIR MAIL (not searching, sorting). Googs doesn't offer these crazy advanced features.
Anthony is absolutely right - go with what the group needs. For a small (think <10) group of relatively savvy users on a seriously tight budget, I think G is great. Other than that, I see no reason not to go with hosted ex2010 and, next year, Office 365. |
| anthony |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 4:25:40 PM
Please note this - I SELL BOTH HOSTED EXCHANGE AND GOOGLE APPS. Right now it's about 40% Exchange and 50% Google and 10% on-premise Exchange. Why? They both have their place, and one might work great at certain client and be terrible for another. You have to look at your requirements for a solution, and confirm that Google Apps is a good fit or not. That is part of due diligence. Google Apps is what you make of it. Many people see the price - and blindly move ahead when faced with the cost of hosted Exchange or on-premise Exchange. But there is A LOT more to it than that obviously.
They offer a free demo (you can also get a free gmail account) to see how it works.
Pesos' comments sound like they come from a place where he had a bad experience. That is too bad because every customer I have deployed has loved it and never looked back. But I would stress IT HAS TO BE A GOOD FIT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION.
If you are looking for a one-to-one Outlook replacement - then look somewhere else. Google Apps is not a replacement for Exchange. It's an ALTERNATIVE.
To answer your questions directly:
Do I think it's a great value? ABSOLUTELY. It's around $4.44 a month per mailbox. With 25GB of storage. The $5 Exchange mailbox Pesos speaks of has nothing close to that much space. Probably ONE or TWO gigabytes at most.
What do I like best about it? Contrary to Pesos - I like that it has a web interface - it is one of my favorite things about it. No matter where you access your email from, you get the same experience. I also like the calendaring in Google apps WAY more than Exchange. It's much easier to use in my opinion - and MUCH EASIER to share calendars. If your organization is big on Calendaring then you will love it's calendaring. Also, it has built-in voice and video chat, a nice feature as well. And Google Sites comes with it as well, which allows you to set up an inTRAnet very easily.
What do I like least about Google Apps? Contacts. The sharing feature is almost worthless. So if you need to do any real contact sharing you have two options:
1. Opt for another option like Exchange/Outlook
2. Purchase a "Shared Contacts" application that integrates with Google Apps available from the Google Apps Marketplace. I have used a few and they are well worth the nominal cost.
One final thing - if you are planning on using Outlook as the front end. Skip Google Apps. You will not be happy with it. Again, Google Apps is not a one-to-one replacement for Exchange and if you are thinking you can run Google Sync for Microsoft Outlook and replace your Exchange server then run the other way.
If you have a bunch of users that mainly just email one another - and never really use any of the "groupware" features of Exchange, then it might be worth checking out Google Apps. But if you guys are "Power Users" of Exchange, and are using Public Folders, Shared Contacts, and you have a bunch of internal LOB apps that integrate with Exchange then it's not going to work for you.
My $0.02...
And Pesos is right - things ARE constantly changing in Google Apps. They add around one new feature per week on average. Some are very, very slight. Some are more profound. But at least you don't have to wait for the next version of Exchange to get new features - they are coming out all the time.
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| Pesos |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 3:26:46 PM
I have had customers go nuts with google apps. The more I had to deal with it the more crazy it drove me too. What a mess, and things change constantly. Web-based email just sucks. Their outlook integration is improving but still isn't where it needs to be. Exchange for $5/mo is a far far better option, and Office 365 will complete the package. |
| JeanW |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 2:29:44 PM
quote:
Originally posted by anthony
I implement Google Apps Premier (or Gmail Corporate as you refer to it) for people all the time. What questions do you have about it? Bearing in mind that there is a vast amount on the Google Apps website.
I guess I'm mostly wondering if you/your customers are happy with it and if you think it's a good value for the $$. What do you like best and least about it?
I did look at the Google Apps site and yes there's a ton of information. |
| anthony |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 1:57:54 PM
I implement Google Apps Premier (or Gmail Corporate as you refer to it) for people all the time. What questions do you have about it? Bearing in mind that there is a vast amount on the Google Apps website. |
| JeanW |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 1:52:37 PM
Bumping this topic up.
What experiences has anyone had lately w/ Exchange alternatives? Good, bad, number 1 option?
Has anyone here used Gmail Corporate or AppRiver http://www.appriver.com/? |
| anthony |
Posted - 06/18/2010 : 2:40:19 PM
...(as I set match to paper) Google Apps Premier?  |
| jadgate |
Posted - 03/30/2009 : 11:49:56 AM
Mark-
What sort of DB does Kerio use to store all this? Is it some form of Open Source SQL? How easy it is to restore/remove individual mailboxes in it?
Thanks,
Jim |
| dvs_mark |
Posted - 03/29/2009 : 11:00:11 AM
just wanted to chime in here
We've been using Kerio http://www.kerio.com mail server for quite a while now.
its lacking in a few areas but if you have less than 200 users and don't want the headaches associated with Exchange its worth checking out
the server can be run a Mac as well! |
| mitachu |
Posted - 06/06/2008 : 10:04:46 AM
Can any of those emulate Exchange? ie: can you tell Outlook that you're connecting to an Exchange account but in fact it's not REALLY Exchange?
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| Playwell |
Posted - 06/05/2008 : 02:09:19 AM
maildeamon
or merak: www.merakmailserver.com |
| runswithsizzors |
Posted - 06/04/2008 : 10:18:31 PM
I have used smartertools.com, their smarter mail product is really good with gray listings, outlook sync (simulate shared calendars with it). Multiple domain administration from one user account (global admin). Pretty nice tool. |
