On Wed, 2008-09-10 at 13:50 +1000, MacShane, Tracy wrote: > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Adam Tauno > > > Williams > > > Sent: Wednesday, 10 September 2008 12:13 PM > > > To: postfix-users@postfix.org > > > Subject: Re: Proposing postfix to mgmt as an Exchange replacement > > > > > > The below isn't meant to shoot down your idea, but I'm an > > Open Source > > > groupware developer and am very familiar with the Exchange-vs-XYZ > > > equation. > > > > > > > As per the subject, I am about to pitch the idea of > > dumping Exchange > > > > and moving to Postfix. > > > ... > > > > > > Is that true? "Everything we use exchange for" needs to be > > > *very* carefully researched. > > > > > > > I hate trying to sell this kind of thing when my impulse > > is to wave > > > > my arms around yelling "IT'S OBVIOUS!" :) > > > > > > But it isn't. > > > > I totally agree with these remarks, not least the confusion > > between the roles that Postfix and Exchange carry out. I'd be > > extremely surprised to find any organisation that has more > > than 6 users on Exchange that doesn't use > > calendaring/scheduling, just as one example. How are you > > judging the use of that functionality organisation-wide? > > > > Really, if you hate Exchange that much - and I actually think > > it's fairly robust (these days) and good at doing what it > > does (if we don't talk to much about TLS) - you need to > > research something like Zimbra, which uses Postfix as the > > MTA, but incorporates IMAP mailboxes and calendaring via > > Webdav (I think). > > > > Of course, my primary role is that of an Exchange admin, so > > you can take my opinion FWIW.
My 2 cents.... I work for a IT support business that has a large amount of different clients who use Exchange. My IT career started with Windows and when I first got into open source software and so forth I was hell bent on getting rid of anything MS. However as time has gone by it has become fairly apparent that there isn't much out there that can do what Exchange does. There is things like Zimbra, Open-Xchange and Scalix but if you want the extra features you have to pay for them. If you want Exchange features...... use Exchange. Unless the business you work for are really tight then having them fork out for Exchange and Windows Server shouldn't be a hassle and it might cost them more for you to research, test, troubleshoot and implement an Exchange replacement anyway. Other things to consider Who troubleshoots/maintains things when you are on holiday/away. What happens when a staff member says "I want this feature that joe bloggs' Company has" and you can't add it on to your setup. Postfix is a superb MTA and in conjunction with other open source software we use it to plug the holes that Exchange has such as Spam filtering and the stupid "feature" (yes that's what MS claim it to be) when it try's to deliver mail to the A record of a domain instead of the MX. I developed an Antispam Gateway and relay to/from an Exchange server based on some excellent documentation such as http://www200.pair.com/mecham/spam but I digress I think you need to consider the ramifications of the system from the users perspective not one of personal choice and Administration. After all that's what we IT support types are supposed to do I think :P Certainly not trying to curb your enthusiasm for Postfix but I wouldn't want a bad decision to bite you in the behind. MS new what they were doing when they developed Exchange Server and new that it would get them a heap of $$ as a result.
