Moving Mac Users from Exchange/Entourage...

[NWade]

Hi All,

I've just discovered Zimbra, while searching for a way around the problems and limitations of using Entourage for our Mac users. Our office has about 10 of them, and about 40 PC users (running AD & Exchange on Win2K3 servers).

Management is tired of the problems trying to book resources (meeting rooms and such) on the Exchange/Outlook-based Calendar - since that functionality is gimped/broken on Entourage and in the Outlook Web Client (OWA).

They'd like a solution, but I just know that they'd put a halt on moving everyone to a new mail client (we're a computer-centric company, but they are loathe to spend any time or money on technology or infrastructure - its very frustrating)... Forcing all of the (PC-based) managers to learn a new mail client is basically a lost-cause (upper management has zero leadership and doesn't enforce policy, so the middle-managers will just whine until the whole project is scrapped).

However, I have hope: I saw it mentioned in one of the guides that there may be a way for a Zimbra server to "share" duties with an Exchange server in a single domain. Is that true? If so, how stable is that? My thought would be to move the Mac users over to a Zimbra solution, but still retain the core of the email & calendaring system in Exchange.

How do-able is this? Any thoughts or comments?

Thanks a bunch, take care,

--Noel

[sam]

With 4.5 Zimbra and Exchange interop pretty well. If you move your mac uses to zimbra, you can have unified authentication, a unified GAL on both systems, and schedule meetings across both systems. In 5.0 you will be able to view free/busy across both systems as well.

[NWade]

Thanks, Sam!

Should I take it then that with 4.5 you can NOT currently view free/busy info across both systems? That's really important to us - makes no sense to move users to a system where they _can_ schedule appointments but _can't_ see when all attendees or resources are available. :-)

Guess I'll be waiting on ZCS 5.0 with baited breath...

Thanks!

Take care,

--Noel