Best Email Server Software?

[roadsweeper]

Hi

Any recommendations on the best email server software to meet the following requirements:

1. Low cost.
2. POP3/SMTP Support.
3. Calendar-sharing.
4. Collect & Distribution of Email from Remote POP3 Servers.
5. Scalable to Hundreds or Thousands of Users.
6. Webmail.

I've seen and used Terrpain MultiNet but am not impressed as it doesn't include SMTP functionality or calendar sharing. Any suggestions on software or other features I should be looking for?

[aldi]

Calendar sharing's going to limit your choices considerably, maybe look at separating that function out to give yourself more choice of pure mail server software? (otherwise I fear the 'E' word is coming...)

>> Edited by aldi on Monday 23 January 18:02

[malman]

If its windows based then I have used ALT-N Mdaemon from very early versions up to now and its very stable/feature rich.

pricing starts out about the same as terapin but scales much better.

Does domain pop (drain one pop account for entier domain and re-split emails to indiviuals)
Does multi pop (pop mail from more than on pop account per individual)
Full smtp with spam protection Bayes filter IP blocking tarpits, spam scoring, SPF and DKIM.

Webmail that looks remarkably like Outlook web access (skin is called LookOut)

Groupware is something I haven't used yet so not sure how well it works but I would imagine calendar sharing is possible. (edit - just checked and some groupware is built in now - used to be a plugin)

You can download a full working demo (time limited)

www.altn.com/

Slightly biased here as I sell it - but I sell it because it works (I like software that doesn't need constant attention)

>> Edited by malman on Monday 23 January 18:18

>> Edited by malman on Monday 23 January 18:21

[plasticpig]

I would also suggest Mdaemon. I have seen it handle 50000 messages in a day. A quantity which choked MS Exchange running on the same platform.

[_dobbo_]

If you want to go "mainstream" and don't want to go Exchange, then you could do worse than read a few reviews but more importantly trial the best of the available software.

http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/software/internet/0,39024

I work for one of the companies who publish a package reviewed here but I'll keep quiet about which one, wouldn't want to unfairly influence you.

At the end of the day you have to balance cost against your requirements, there are loads of packages out there but very few of them really are viable alternatives to Exchange.

The reason I think you should trial is that it can represent a substantial investment of money, and the last thing you need is to get lumbered with a crap product that doesn't suit your requirements because it was cheap and a bloke down the pub (eg me on Pistonheads) said his software was the best



Also a trial can expose the "cheap" product that has huge admin overheads, false economies and all that.

[_dobbo_]

plasticpig said:

I would also suggest Mdaemon. I have seen it handle 50000 messages in a day. A quantity which choked MS Exchange running on the same platform.

50,000 messages a day on ANY hardware platform is not a large number. Being more efficient than exchange is not a unique selling point to any mail server software out there!

Now I wont tell you about the pentium 166mhz system with 64mb of RAM which I saw process well over a million messages in less than 24 hours... oh wait I already did!

[aldi]

_dobbo_ said:

Now I wont tell you about the pentium 166mhz system with 64mb of RAM which I saw process well over a million messages in less than 24 hours... oh wait I already did!

11+ messages a second average doesnt sound too shabby for a p166! What s/w was it running?

[rednotdead]

Check out FirstClass from Centrinity

I've recently left an organisation where we were hosting c6500 mailboxes on a P200MMX with 256Mb RAM - no problems at all.

Only thing to consider is the rather clunky backup/restore. Backup is a snapshot and to restore individual mailboxes/mails is a PITA at best. Can be done but not easy.

[PetrolTed]

Merak from Icewarp is good value for money.

[plasticpig]

_dobbo said:

50,000 messages a day on ANY hardware platform is not a large number. Being more efficient than exchange is not a unique selling point to any mail server software out there! Now I wont tell you about the pentium 166mhz system with 64mb of RAM which I saw process well over a million messages in less than 24 hours... oh wait I already did!

Hmm making a few assumptions here arent we? What size messages? Too how many recipients within the organization and outside of it. Were both incoming and outgoing messages being virus scanned and spam filtered ? What autogeneration scripts were running ? Was it doing reverse lookups to check the validity of the sender? Unless you are a very large organization or an ISP 50000 messages in a day is a lot. If I threw approx 5000 messages each with a personalized 10mb pdf file with the server performing the personailzation how long would it take your pentium 166 to handle it?

The original poster was asking for a cheap mail server with collabritive functions. I recommended a product I use and think is good and gave an indication of the message volume I have seen it handle which Exchange on the same platform and is well known for its collabritive capability couldnt handle. Its a price / performance comparison not a unique selling point.

[fish]

WORKGROUPMAIL


Brilliant peice of software, cheap and very well featured. It will do calenders with a bolt on I beleive. It archives has unlimited rules etc webmail. Very easy to use covers smtp/pop3.

Just have a look at www.workgroupmail.co.uk or speak to their sales on [phone] (Sales)


Cost for 50 users under £500 unlimited users £1600 with smaller user packages.


We've been using it for nearly 4 years now after I had the I'm NOT buying exchange moment..

[ErnestM]

A couple of offerings from Ipswitch:

www.ipswitch.com/products/collaboration/index.asp

- or email only -

www.ipswitch.com/products/imail/index.asp

ErnestM

[agent006]

plasticpig said:

Hmm making a few assumptions here arent we? What size messages? Too how many recipients within the organization and outside of it. Were both incoming and outgoing messages being virus scanned and spam filtered ? What autogeneration scripts were running ? Was it doing reverse lookups to check the validity of the sender? Unless you are a very large organization or an ISP 50000 messages in a day is a lot. If I threw approx 5000 messages each with a personalized 10mb pdf file with the server performing the personailzation how long would it take your pentium 166 to handle it? The original poster was asking for a cheap mail server with collabritive functions. I recommended a product I use and think is good and gave an indication of the message volume I have seen it handle which Exchange on the same platform and is well known for its collabritive capability couldnt handle. Its a price / performance comparison not a unique selling point.

Nerve - touch.

[_dobbo_]

agent006 said:

plasticpig said: Hmm making a few assumptions here arent we? What size messages? Too how many recipients within the organization and outside of it. Were both incoming and outgoing messages being virus scanned and spam filtered ? What autogeneration scripts were running ? Was it doing reverse lookups to check the validity of the sender? Unless you are a very large organization or an ISP 50000 messages in a day is a lot. If I threw approx 5000 messages each with a personalized 10mb pdf file with the server performing the personailzation how long would it take your pentium 166 to handle it? The original poster was asking for a cheap mail server with collabritive functions. I recommended a product I use and think is good and gave an indication of the message volume I have seen it handle which Exchange on the same platform and is well known for its collabritive capability couldnt handle. Its a price / performance comparison not a unique selling point. Nerve - touch.

Hmmm... indeed. Had you included all these factors in your original posting the likelehood is that I'd have kept quiet.

Bit like saying my car can do 0-60 in 30 seconds, then later clarifying that's a good thing because it's towing 55 Combine Harvesters at the time.

Anyway email is bread and butter to me, so yes, I'll make a few assumptions that for a sample of ANY 50,000 emails sent ANYWHERE in the world, the likelehood of even a tiny percentage of those being custom on the fly generated scripted hoojamyflit sooper dooper mails is pretty slim, about as slim as that being a requirement for the original poster....

[neil_cardiff]

_dobbo_ said:

agent006 said: plasticpig said: Hmm making a few assumptions here arent we? What size messages? Too how many recipients within the organization and outside of it. Were both incoming and outgoing messages being virus scanned and spam filtered ? What autogeneration scripts were running ? Was it doing reverse lookups to check the validity of the sender? Unless you are a very large organization or an ISP 50000 messages in a day is a lot. If I threw approx 5000 messages each with a personalized 10mb pdf file with the server performing the personailzation how long would it take your pentium 166 to handle it? The original poster was asking for a cheap mail server with collabritive functions. I recommended a product I use and think is good and gave an indication of the message volume I have seen it handle which Exchange on the same platform and is well known for its collabritive capability couldnt handle. Its a price / performance comparison not a unique selling point. Nerve - touch. Hmmm... indeed. Had you included all these factors in your original posting the likelehood is that I'd have kept quiet. Bit like saying my car can do 0-60 in 30 seconds, then later clarifying that's a good thing because it's towing 55 Combine Harvesters at the time. Anyway email is bread and butter to me, so yes, I'll make a few assumptions that for a sample of ANY 50,000 emails sent ANYWHERE in the world, the likelehood of even a tiny percentage of those being custom on the fly generated scripted hoojamyflit sooper dooper mails is pretty slim, about as slim as that being a requirement for the original poster....

Design Briefs eh? Doncha just love em....

[neil_cardiff]

Can I just point out that Microsoft Exchange is available under Small Business Server 2003 for the very low price of about £300 ish oem?

Oh yes...

And if you want to expand out of it, Transition packs are available to bring it up to scalability. Ultimately, you need to open your wallet...

>> Edited by neil_cardiff on Tuesday 24th January 12:24

[jamieboy]

neil_cardiff said:

Microsoft Exchange...Small Business Server 2003

For me, this would be the default choice. I'd be interested in people's reasons for not using it, though.

[agent006]

jamieboy said:

I'd be interested in people's reasons for not using it, though.

Limited to 75 users isn't it?

[malman]

75 user limit as mentioned
only one server per organisation
limited database - although I think they changed that in SP1 but I'd have to check.
Transition pack is expensive if you out grow it by a few users

Its good value though if you want all the other stuff too.


oops forgot to add that some people just don't like Microsoft . I don't care either way if they disappeared tomorrow something else would replace them and I'd have to install that instead.

>> Edited by malman on Tuesday 24th January 14:00

[ultimasimon]

I use Mailtraq. Have several sites using this and no problems so far. Also they even do a free version which is ideal for small offices or to implement as a training tool.