Zimbra vs Gmail

August 31st, 2009 by pittengerk

At DataSync, we have taken a close look at mail/collaboration solutions, in particular Zimbra vs Gmail. We discovered that while Gmail has the ability to provide the features necessary for simple users, it lacks robust features small businesses need. Users looking to centralize communication find the solution in Zimbra collaboration suite.

Email, Calendar, Contacts – Both Zimbra and Gmail are full featured mail clients, with contact and calendar sharing. However, Zimbra takes it a step further with email message threading in a hierarchical display, as well as drag and drop email, calendar and contacts.
Mobile Devices – Zimbra has BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) connectivity, as well as syncing with the iPhone. Gmail is able to sync to the iPhone, but has no BES connectivity.
Support – Zimbra provides you with corporate support. Gmail does not, unless you upgrade to the premier edition.
Open Source – Zimbra is open source, giving you the freedom to take the application into your own hands. Zimbra is an inexpensive, robust solution.

Overall, Gmail provides users with the basics of a mail client but it lacks the features necessary to make a business run more efficiently. The overall advantages of Zimbra vs Gmail make it a compelling offering for businesses large and small. DataSync provides affordable Zimbra hosting services, making it accessible for any business.