BOSTON, MA– March 25, 2002– Ximian, Inc., the leading open
source desktop company, today announced general availability of
Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange. Ximian Connector is a
unique client software extension that allows Linux and UNIX users
of the Ximian Evolution groupware suite to manage personal
information and collaborate with Windows-based co-workers using
Microsoft Exchange 2000.With Ximian Connector installed, Ximian
Evolution will function as a Microsoft Exchange 2000 client,
enabling users to manage their email, personal calendars, group
schedules, address books and tasks lists using existing company
Exchange 2000 servers. As a result, workgroups, departments and
companies using Ximian software can fully and cost-effectively
integrate their growing numbers of Linux and UNIX users into
Microsoft-based corporate computing environments. Customers can now
purchase Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange through the Ximian
web site at www.ximian.com.
“The challenge in connecting decentralized Linux workgroups with
larger Windows-based enterprises has been a barrier for Linux
desktops to make inroads into the corporate world,” states Robert
Mahowald, senior analyst at IDC. “Ximian Connector for Microsoft
Exchange is designed to break down those barriers.”
“The overwhelming customer response to Ximian Connector for
Microsoft Exchange shows that we have clearly struck a chord with
companies increasingly adopting Linux for desktop use,” said David
Patrick, president and CEO of Ximian. “By providing this key
missing ingredient to interoperability with office document and
messaging standards, Ximian is helping companies support their
Linux users without compromise while eliminating the costs normally
associated with the purchase of second PCs or mail systems.”
Tight Integration for Linux Users
Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange is an easy to install
software add-on to Ximian Evolution, the premier personal and
workgroup information management solution for Linux and UNIX-based
systems. Ximian Evolution 1.0 uniquely integrates email, calendar,
contact and task list management in one powerful, fast and
easy-to-use application. Ximian Evolution also provides extensive
support for key data exchange and communications standards, such as
IMAP, POP, SMTP, LDAP, iCalendar, vCard and more. The application
supports a broad range of leading Linux distributions and UNIX
variants, including Red Hat, Mandrake, SuSE, Debian and more.
Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange enables IT managers and
system administrators to integrate and support Linux and UNIX
desktops alongside Windows clients for Exchange email, group
calendaring, contact and task management. Ximian Connector enables
a host of capabilities Exchange users require, including the
ability to define and manage email folders, propose meetings with
and view free/busy time of other Exchange users, and access
personal and global address lists. Just as important, Ximian
Connector lets Linux and UNIX users overcome the limitations of
previous web browser-based Exchange-access methods. Ximian
Connector provides Linux clients of Microsoft Exchange 2000 with
the elegant interface and full functionality of Ximian Evolution,
including QuickSearch, vFolders, threaded email view, in-line text
editing and synchronization with Palm handhelds.
Customers Laud Interoperability and Clear Return on
Investment
Ximian Connector customers benefit from increased productivity
for their users and IT personnel as well as dramatically reduced
costs of technology purchase, deployment and support. Used with
Ximian Evolution, Ximian Connector removes the barriers between
employees who use Linux-based workstations and those using
Microsoft-based systems. From a budgetary perspective, Ximian
provides companies with Microsoft compatible productivity and
messaging applications, eliminating the costs of purchasing a
second Windows PC desktop or parallel messaging systems for Linux
and UNIX users. The result is a savings of up to $2,000 per user,
as duplicate or virtual Windows PCs along with Microsoft Office
licenses are no longer needed.
“Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange is the missing piece of
the puzzle for our development staff using Linux workstations,”
said Andrew Lozier, vice president of Next Dimension, Inc., a
provider of outsourced application development, hosting and network
integration. “It enables us to quickly and affordably integrate
these users of the Ximian Evolution groupware suite on Linux with
our corporate messaging and scheduling standard, Microsoft Exchange
2000.”
“Using Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange in conjunction
with the Ximian Evolution groupware suite is a major step forward
in expanding our use of Linux to new areas like customer service,”
said Warren Aldred, senior systems programmer at Smith and Noble, a
California-based provider of custom home furnishings. “Ximian
Connector has the dual benefit of enabling Linux users to
cost-effectively collaborate with the rest of their colleagues
using Microsoft Exchange 2000, especially for group scheduling,
while simplifying life for the IT folks who support them.”
“Like many start ups, we need to get the most ‘bang for the
buck’ from our technology investments,” said Daniel Curry, IT
manager at San Francisco-based Cariocas. “As we look at moving our
development staff from the existing Windows platform to a lower
cost Linux platform, interoperability with our current Microsoft
Exchange infrastructure is critical. Every day, I use Ximian
Connector for Microsoft Exchange to keep myself up to date with all
the changes in our product lines and development plans. Its tight
integration of Ximian Evolution with Exchange and its familiar
Outlook-like interface will shorten the learning curve and make our
roll-out easier.”
“With the bulk of our development work being done on Linux,
integrating these users with other Windows-based company systems
like Microsoft Exchange 2000 has been a major challenge,” said John
Swords III, technology director at Red Sandbox LLC, a provider of
Internet marketing and consulting services. “Ximian Connector for
Microsoft Exchange changes all that by letting us affordably
provide email and group scheduling for Linux users without the need
for a second Windows box on every desk.”
Pricing and Availability
Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange for leading Linux
distributions including Red Hat, Mandrake, SuSE and Debian is now
available for purchase from the Ximian web site at www.ximian.com
with software licenses fulfilled electronically. (Solaris 8 support
will follow in the second quarter of this year.) Ximian Connector
is priced at $69 ($599 for 10 pack, $1,449 for 25 pack) and comes
with 30 days of web-based installation support. Corporate licensing
and support programs are also available.
The Ximian Evolution groupware suite required for use with
Ximian Connector can be downloaded for free or purchased on CD as
part of the Ximian Desktop Standard Edition ($29.95) or
Professional Edition ($49.95) software at www.ximian.com. Ximian
Desktop and Ximian Evolution are licensed under the terms of the
General Public License (GPL).