Zimbra verses Exchange
Zimbra Collaboration Suite 5.0 – A Real Alternative to Microsoft Exchange.
Microsoft Exchange currently has 30 - 40% of the corporate mailbox market, a market share which is inextricably linked to Microsoft’s dominance in the desktop and server operating system space. Ease of interoperability with other already installed Microsoft systems has been the primary driver for many organisations to choose Microsoft Exchange as their messaging platform. But this choice often results in frustration due to reliability, the complexity of managing Exchange and the lack of integration with 3rd party software.
Zimbra Collaboration Suite 5.0 offers a real alternative to Microsoft Exchange, not only by addressing the common complaints listed below, but also by providing a range of additional features which enhance enterprise communication and collaboration.
Zimbra offers a range of tools to migrate effortlessly from Microsoft Exchange once the decision has been made.
Common Complaints
| Exchange Complaint | Zimbra Solution |
|---|---|
| High TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) - Exchange licensing, Microsoft Server Licensing, Outlook Licensing etc. | Low TCO through a combination of low licensing costs and efficient server resource utilisation – over 40% TCO savings have been proven when migrating from Exchange to Zimbra |
| Lack of compelling support for Apple Mac & Linux platforms | Support for all popular mail clients including Apple iSync connector for Apple mail & iPhone |
| Reliability & Uptime – reports of average 4 hours unscheduled downtime per month are not uncommon | 99.9% Uptime Guarantee (< 45 minutes downtime per month) |
| Poor integration with non Microsoft 3rd party applications | "Zimlets" – applets to simplify integration with 3rd party applications eg Salesforce.com |
| Slow database rebuild times resulting in denial of end user access | Data held in MySQL – rebuild times very fast |
| Poor mailbox search capability (slow and lacking in search parameter flexibility) | Advanced end user and administrator mailbox search capability |
Zimbra Key Features
Some of the key features available in Zimbra Collaboration Suite that are not available in Exchange include:
| Feature | Microsoft Exchange | Zimbra Collaboration Suite |
|---|---|---|
| Ability to share Outlook subfolders with other users |  |
 |
| Secure Instant Messaging | |
|
| Apple iCal and Address book synchronisation | |
|
| Local Archiving | |
|
| Web document authoring | |
|
For a more detailed analysis of Zimbra Collaboration Suite vs Microsoft Exchange please view the Zimbra webinar which can be found at http://www.zimbra.com/about/webinars.html opens new window.
