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Apple challenges Microsoft Exchange

updated 04:45 pm EST, Thu February 15, 2007

Apple challenges Exchange


Apple is set to challenge Microsoft's dominance in the enterprise market currently dominated by Microsoft Exchange Server, according to RoughlyDrafted.com. The Cupertino-based company has historically struggled in the corporate IT environment, but is aiming to change that fact with the help of open-source developers. Apple's Calendar Server is set to debut this year with Mac OS X Leopard Server, and will provide an alternative to IT departments looking to finally abandon Microsoft Exchange. Exchange Server is the reason many businesses utilize Windows-exclusive plans, according to the report, suggesting that Apple's new offering could result in massive market share gains for the company. Apple is good at producing click product-oriented commercially developed software, and open-source software is widely known for producing strong server deployments. Apple together with open-source developers could wrest dominance from Microsoft Exchange, resulting in more Mac sales to enterprise customers.


by MacNN Staff

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  1. eldarkus

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Feb 2004

    0
    02/15, 04:54pm | report spam | Reply |

    well...

    If they want to fully enter the corporate Market, they better make some serious updates to thier server software. Some of the server software seems like they just found open source apps and just slapped them in. No front end GUI. We use Apple servers for web and mail and mail needs a serious overhaul.

    A great example is out of office messages. I had to install a 3rd party app just to have that feature. and I have to go into each webmail account and enter it in that way... very bad.

  1. suhail

    Senior User

    Joined: Nov 1999

    0
    02/15, 06:10pm | report spam | Reply |

    Agreed…

    Even some Permissions in Server can't be accessed from the UI. XServe has many RAID commands that are only available from the Terminal.

  1. QualleyIV

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    02/15, 06:55pm | report spam | Reply |

    Missing the point...

    I think you guys might be missing the point a little bit. Although I agree that Server doesn't have perfect GUI front ends for everything, what does exist is far and away better than anything else out there, not to mention using the command line.

    For example, I sure wish that Server Admin would understand my hand-tuned BIND zone files, but server admin is pretty good at giving basic control over really arcane functions. Moreover, every version of OS X server has improved in this regard and I'm sure that won't change with Leopard.

  1. paulc

    Junior Member

    Joined: Aug 2000

    0
    02/16, 08:48am | report spam | Reply |

    Actually...

    the issue here (IMO) is more that they abandoned this market years and years ago. Making it very clear to pretty much all IT types they had no interest in them or what their issues are. The fact that one has to twiddle with Terminal really is a non-issue to the corporate market, that's what SKILLED IT guys get paid to do.

    Cupertino's sales guys are going to have to go on a multi-year marketing process to convince these guys that they can have some trust in Apple... because at this point there is NO trust.

    No matter what issues Exchange may or may not have, EVERY IT manager/director has a M$ contact guy they know fairly well.

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    02/16, 02:31pm | report spam | Reply |

    paulc

    paulc has it right on. Its not about features, ease of use, etc. Its all about trust. And no IT manager is going to trust apple when apple doesn't trust the IT people to give them the information they need to know (still have no idea for how long OS X.3 will be supported with security patches, what features/products are coming up in the future for their needs, etc). Especially since Apple also has a history of abandoning features/technology as quickly as they promote/hype it.

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