Re: [Evolution] wish-list (MS-Exchange support != MAPI support)

["Kevin A. Burton" <burton relativity yi org>]

Gregory Leblanc wrote:
<snip>
> > Actually, MAPI is only one of the APIs MS provides for
> > accessing 'the messaging subsystem'. It's not the only one,
> > nor is Exchange the only mail server support it. While MAPI
> > is the API, the actual 'on-the-wire' format is not MAPI, but
> > the result of some exchange-library on your system
> > translating MAPI calls into the 'on-the-wire' format and vice versa.
> >
> > Unfortunately, while MAPI is documented pretty well, the
> > on-the-wire format is not widely available (AFAIK). The
> > short-term solution is to convince you sysadmin to install
> > IMAP support for Exchange to be able to access it...''
>
> That is why I said "MS Exchange MAPI", and not just "MAPI".  However,
> Evolution is useless with only IMAP support on the Exchange server, as it
> defeats the purpose of having Exchange.  Exchange is so much more than a
> mail storage facility, it provides the framework for a "groupware" system.
> It allows (relatively) easy group callendaring, messaging (email), tracking
> of both email and other "office" products.  I hate to sound like I'm selling
> Exchange, since I wouldn't wish that on any administrator, however, it
> offers the best groupware systemt that I've seen, from the users point of
> view.  I'll have to see what I can find about the wire format that
> Outlook/Exchange speak, I haven't looked yet, since Evolution doesn't even
> have a GUI that works.
>         Greg

I would be interested in hearing what MS Exchange can do that IMAP and
iCalendar combined can not do.  After Evolution has support for both and
there is a decent server to run against there really would be no reason
that it couldn't be able to beat Exchange.  There are some more areas
such as Web based access to all this information but we are working on
this problem with Apache Jetspeed (java.apache.org/jetspeed) and should
have iCalendar support shortly (within days) and IMAP/SMTP/POP3 support
within weeks.

Kevin

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Kevin A Burton (burton apache org)
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