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PostPath intros plug-compatible Exchange Server

At DemoFall 2006, PostPath introduced what company CEO Duncan Greenwood called a "plug-compatible" Microsoft Exchange server. The Linux-based server talks the same network protocols as Exchange Server so the Microsoft software cannot tell that that is running on a 'foreign' box.
Written by Dan Farber, Inactive

At DemoFall 2006, PostPath introduced what company CEO Duncan Greenwood called a "plug-compatible" Microsoft Exchange server. The Linux-based server talks the same network protocols as Exchange Server so the Microsoft software cannot tell that that is running on a 'foreign' box.  "This is the first time any company, outside of Microsoft, has demonstrated full, native support for the Exchange network protocols for email and collaboration without using plug-ins, connectors or making any other kind of desktop software changes,” Greenwood said.

Greenwood demonstrated Zimbra's collaboration suite connected to a PostPath Server, viewing calendar  information for both Exchange and PostPath hosted users. The value proposition, according to Greenwood, is multifactor. He said that PostPath is five times faster than Exchange on the same hardware, and it takes an "ax" to infrastructure costs via lower cost storage and tools and back up and restore capabilities. High availability through Linux components for offsite replications and failover are also a benefit to PostPath's server, Greenwood said. He also doesn't believe that the forthcoming Exchange Server 2007 will make PostPath a less compelling proposition. "Exchange 12 [now 2007] still uses the Jet database engine, thread-driven RPC and proprietary SMTP for communicating between servers," Greenwood said.  Pricing is free for up to 12 users, and beyond that a $4,000 perpetual license for 60 users.

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