Hello there!
First of all, I again have to say thank you for this wonderful software package called "EBox"!
Secondly, there have been discussions in the past about eGW and other groupware solutions. My mindset is like this:
- for a small and medium sized business it is definetly great to have a groupware software, at least from my point of view
- a groupware should have some kind of desktop client apart from the web client to make the transition from Outlook easy for everybody (don't forget the power of secretaries!!
) -> if the users can't get used to it, it won't be accepted!
- another reason for a desktop client is the drag&drop argument: I'm tired of endless clicks on the web-GUI, I prefer to use drag&drop whereever possible
- my personal dream would be to have a mobile sync working with the groupware, so that I can enter contacts outside the office and when I come back I just type the the new contact's name and can write an email to him right away...
The same goes for calendar entries -> nothing more annoying than forgetting some detail of a meeting and don't have it with you outside the office...
- to me, a working package with the reasons mentioned above could be a real selling argument for small and mid sized businesses....
- there are a few "but's" according this:
*) the groupware should be working 100%, it should not contain half-ready solutions...as I mentioned it before, I better pay a smaller fee for a WORKING solution than have something that's free but buggy
*) I had my issues with eGW, could not import my imap-folders, could not set up AND use my identities, how in the heck does one create a new entry in the wiki (other than saving an existing topic under a different name,....), funambol sync is a mess, tbird sync is a mess as well....this was the point for me to stop investing any more time in this
I can see several other alternatives:
- open-xchange (
http://www.open-xchange.com)
- kolab (
http://www.kolab.org)
- groupwise (
http://www.novell.com/products/groupwise/)
- funambol server (
http://www.funambol.com/solutions/enterprises.php)
- zimbra (
http://www.zimbra.com/)
- sogo (
http://www.sogo.nu/english.html)
...
but before there is a decision on the solution I think the need of EBox users must be evaluated. I for myself offer testing and part of package maintenance services if wanted.
Cheers
BBKing