MS Exchange server on FreeBSD?

[Anthony Atkielski]

Nick Pavlica writes:

> I referenced the Novell GroupWise product.  I'm not sure what you
> were referencing with the generic "Groupware" that you mentioned.

Within this context they are roughly the same thing.

> It's clear that you have little knowledge of this technology and may
> want to spend some time learning about it before making blanket
> statements about it.

I provided enterprise support on messaging systems for years.  I know a
great deal about it.

> My biggest concern is that you don't miss lead someone else on this
> list. GroupWise is superior to Exchange in almost every aspect.

In terms of messaging, GroupWise is markedly inferior to Exchange.  Most
companies require messaging more than anything else, without a few
"groupware" functions (I put this in quotation marks because it tends to
have a very wooly definition).  Given this, they need a system that does
messaging better than anything else, and that's Exchange.

Exchange was designed from the ground up to handle electronic mail, and
it does that extraordinarily well.  The limited so-called groupware
functions it provides were added as afterthoughts.  But since this
design (e-mail first, with a bit of groupware) closely corresponds to
what many large organizations actually require, Exchange turns out to be
an excellent fit for many enterprises.

> As a straight mail server/"messaging server"  Exchange in any
> version doesn't hold a candle to the available *nix bases solutions.

The opposite is also true.  In other words, they address different
markets.  I wouldn't put Exchange in service at an ISP or in a company
with only 60 employees, but I would strongly recommend it in a
multinational company with 45,000 employees spread around the world.  In
the former cases, Exchange is too bloated and expensive for the purpose;
in the latter case, Exchange is ideal for the purpose, and its size and
expense pale in comparison to the scale of deployment and the resources
of the organization using it.

> Exchange has it's place with out a doubt, but please don't try to wave
> the Exchange flag to someone that knows better.

There are few things about which I'm more qualified to speak than
Exchange and electronic messaging.  Proof of this is that I've spent my
entire post discussing the product and the technology--whereas you spent
your entire post trying to tell me I'm stupid.  Which style do you think
is more informative and persuasive?

--
Anthony