DataSync Business News

Zimbra 5.0 recently came out and DataSync will be moving its servers over to the new version this weekend. Here’s what we can look foward to with Zimbra 5.0

Zimbra Advanced Web Client (AJAX)

• Email Folder Sharing: Any folder in your inbox (including RSS feeds and subfolders) can be shared with others.  You have the ability to provide read only-access or allow others to manage.
• Many Productivity Enhancements: Pick from multiple email signatures, set message priority, add images to contacts, and select multiple messages and forward them all at once are among the many features added to the Web Client
• More Calendar Scheduling Options: New advanced features in Calendar include: the ability to mark events in your shared calendar as ‘private,’ move events from one user’s calendar to another’s; import and export calendar events as standard ICS (iCal) files.
• Tasks: Manage all your tasks including select start and due dates, choose their priority as well as keep track of progress and percent complete.  Tasks can also be organized and saved into folders and easily be shared with other end-users as view-only or full management access.  Tasks also sync to Outlook via our MAPI Connector.
• Instant Messaging (Beta): IM is built directly into ZCS; end-users can have multiple conversations open as well as group chats.  Zimbra IM is an XMPP based client and server and interoperable with major providers such as AOL and MSN.  IM conversations are also fully indexed and stored for discovery.
• Briefcase: Store all your important files in Briefcase instead of as email attachments, which can be saved in one click directly to a Briefcase folder.  The folders are shareable with other end-users and files can be easily emailed to others directly from Briefcase.
• Documents GA: Zimbra Documents is out of Beta.  Users can create and edit wiki-style documents online with tables, images, or spreadsheets and can easily share and collaborate with others.  Document history lets users quickly revert unwanted changes.
• Faster Performance: New optimizations such as ‘lazy loading’ further reduce Web Client start up time
• Choose your Language: Many popular languages are pre-installed (such as French, German, and Spanish); end-users can now select their display language of choice in “Preferences”

Zimbra Standard Web Client (HTML)

• GA Availability: The Standard Client is now officially ready for general availability
• IMAP and POP Aggregation: New support for adding external email accounts using IMAP or POP (already available in the Advanced Client)
• Themes and Identities: Support for advanced custom themes and the ability for users to select from multiple identities when they send and receive email (already in Advanced Client)
• Tasks: Manage all your tasks including select start and due dates, choose their priority as well as keep track of progress and percent complete. 

Zimbra Mobile

• iPhone and Mobile Browser Support: iPhone and other devices that support for HTML / JavaScript can access the Zimbra server directly to view email, contacts, and calendar.  You can compose messages as well as view folders and tags.  Zimbra search is also included.
• Rich J2ME Client (Beta): The Zimbra experience is now available on popular phones like the Motorola Razr and Blackberry Pearl.  Get email in conversation view plus your contacts and calendar all in real time.
• Native Blackberry Support (Beta): Zimbra Mobile can now interface directly you’re your Blackberry Enterprise Server.  With minimal configuration you can get Zimbra email, contacts, calendar syncing over-the-air to your favorite Blackberry device.
• Task Syncs: Zimbra Mobile server can now sync your Tasks to Windows Mobile 5 devices

Zimbra Desktop Connectors

• Zimbra Connector for Outlook 2007 GA: End-users can now sync their Zimbra email, filters, contacts, calendar, and tasks to Outlook 2007 using our MAPI connector.  Other enhancements include: view your Zimbra mailbox quota, improved support for Roaming Windows Profiles, Reminders sync, and support for Zimbra Mail Identities
• Zimbra Desktop (Beta):  Desktop is officially beta; allowing end-users have the Zimbra experience in the browser online and offline.  Zimbra Desktop supports email, contacts, and calendar and can be used on the Windows, Linux, or Mac desktop.

For Administrators and Service Providers

• Home Tab: Ability to enable a ‘welcome page’ view in the Web Clients
• Disable Email: Run ZCS as a calendar-only solution by disabling all other features in the product via the Admin Console Class of Service (CoS) settings
• Veritas Cluster Service (VCS): ZCS now supports VCS in addition to Red Hat Clustering; adding clustering support for SUSE and VMware ES3
• Backup and Restore Enhancements: Now view the status of account backups, including success or failure.  Restore mailboxes to a specific point in time from the Admin Console.
• Server Upgrade Compatibility: Rolling upgrades are now supported of LDAP and mailbox servers for large ZCS deployments

Open Platform Updates

• New Server OS’: Debian 4, SUSE ES10, Fedora Core 7
• Safari 3: The Advanced Web Client (AJAX) now officially supports Safari 3 on the Mac
• Voicemail API: Ability to integrate ZCS with other voice mail systems and provide access to messages and call history
• Customize Mail Header Detection: You can now specify header and meta data information to detect in a message to enable integration with certified email providers such as Goodmail
• Make Custom Buttons: Create custom buttons and add them in ZCS which link to external sites

More info on Zimbra.com