Adoption of Linux for email servers

The primary reasons for adopting Linux for email servers are

• Total cost of ownership
• Technical superiority, reliability and performance
• Hedge against vendor lock in

Leading email providers have a tight coupling of their proprietary
systems. The combination of MS Exchange, outlook, Active directory,
windows has given the user a lack of choice and flexibility in
choosing their options. This leaves users with a sense of being
locked-in.

Linux provides the features of reliability, robustness,
interoperability, and this is transparent to the end user.

A mature, consolidated market dominated by three products, Microsoft
Exchange, Lotus Notes/Domino and Novell Groupwise, representing an
estimated 80% - 95% market share, has left many organizations
complaining about a lack of alternatives.

Email vendors are rapidly adapting linux email and calendaring
products to the skill sets of today's administrators. Open source and
commercial products alike have begun developing GUI's that ease
administration and look much like familiar messaging products deployed
today.

Powerful, desktop-grade web mail clients that support important
productivity functions such as drag-and-drop, cut-and-paste and
drop-down menus are available today. Advanced email, calendaring and
collaborative functions are also increasingly available. This has
begun elevating web-based mail clients from an anytime, anywhere
secondary method of access to a primary means of access. At the same
time, the emergence of alternative browsers like Mozilla and Firefox
is increasing the requirement for cross-browser support. A rich
function, desktop grade web client that is browser-independent should
be a key criterion in the selection of any Linux email system.