Enterprise collaboration capabilities have come to SuSE Linux, as
the company today unveiled SuSE Linux Openexchange Server, which
includes a full range of communications and groupware
features.
The company said the product would include the SuSE Linux
Enterprise Server operating system as well as an established e-mail
server and extensive groupware functions.
The product features integrated Web mail clients, a central
appointment and address management system and project management
and task planning tools. Also included are a centrally controlled
document management tool and group-based discussion forums for
project teams.
SuSE Linux Openexchange Server, which will be available in
mid-November, will work with all common browsers. Users will be
able to access the communications services from anywhere in the
world using a computer with any common operating system and an
Internet connection.
Data synchronisation features for Palm and Pocket PC devices are
also included. Users of Microsoft Outlook will also be able to
synchronise and edit appointments, tasks and addresses using SuSE
Linux Openexchange Server.
Pricing for the product begins at $1,249 (£804), which includes a
licence for ten groupware clients and an unlimited number of e-mail
clients.
Customers using SuSE Linux eMail Server 3.x and the SuSE
Maintenance Service can upgrade to the new product under their
maintenance agreements.
IDC analyst Dan Kusnetzky said the product could help Linux become
established in the business collaboration marketplace. According to
IDC figures, collaboration, including e-mail and messaging, is the
second most common use in Microsoft Windows business workloads,
with file and print serving in the top spot.
The new server product's ability to replace Microsoft Exchange as
the collaboration server in the enterprise "would be persuasive for
at least some people to try it", Kusnetzky said.
The server application provides most of the features in Exchange
and would allow the Microsoft Outlook client software to work with
the SuSE product and think it was talking with Exchange, according
to Kusnetzky.
"The idea is it would allow Linux to be introduced into a Windows
environment and an Exchange environment with little disruption," he
said. "Taken together, that would allow SuSE to attack [the
market]."