Which is the world's fastest browser? According to Zimbra, Safari runs fastest, though it didn't beat out Firefox by much. Both Safari and Firefox were roughly twice as fast as Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7.
Of course, Zimbra was testing for how these browsers perform with the Zimbra Web application. Your mileage may vary with other applications. In fact, I'd love to see a wide range of tests for different sites and applications. Who's next?
As an aside, I continue to be impressed at how Zimbra treats non-Microsoft platforms as first-class citizens (along with Microsoft). Firefox is the same way. Both allow you to run on the Mac, for example, without losing any functionality that you'd find in Windows/IE.
It's called great code. Weak developers write code that limps on anything but Windows. Great developers write code that ports well to diverse platforms.
Before I became a marketing wonk I was a knowledgeable technologist, which is probably why I've never once enjoyed any e-mail system that I have used or implemented. Over the last 15 years, I have tried pretty much everything, from Pine to Zimbra, to MS Exchange to Lotus Notes and several different IMAP and POP options. Every time it's the same thing--the system works within reason but is never great. And there is always something that bites you in the rear.
I first started outsourcing e-mail to managed providers in 2003 when I worked for a CEO who demanded MS Exchange and we only had Linux boxes. It was never great and it was too expensive to boot. But the offerings have gotten much better and at this point I can't see a small- or medium-sized business running its own mail server. It's just not necessary.
Here are my fundamental hopes for e-mail:
- Reliable delivery of mail (dare to dream)
- Reliable delivery of mail on mobile devices (Blackberry and iPhone)
- Shared calendaring with administrator abilities (i.e. admin access)
- Backup and recovery
- Reliable SPAM prevention
- Sync across multiple computers and devices
Salesforce.com's tie-in with Google Apps makes Salesforce the complete center of the user's universe.
But in a new-school twist, neither of these applications completely locks you in. You can get your data out, if you need to (albeit somewhat painfully) from Salesforce, and since you have your Google e-mail stored outside of the Salesforce system, you can effectively leave whenever you want and resplit the applications, should you so desire.
While the technical details are not totally clear, this appears to be an example of Web-oriented architecture, or it at least demonstrates the idea that an abstraction layer allows for data to be more easily integrated. Or maybe it's PaaS (platform as a service)--I am sure it's some acronym.
The theoretical benefits of the combined service outweigh the negatives (mainly clarity around service-level agreements, security, and Google's perpetual beta tests)-at least for now.
... Read moreZimbra Thursday released a version of its Web e-mail client that works on Java-enabled mobile phones and Apple's iPhone.
Zimbra e-mail client on BlackBerry, iPhone, and Nokia handset
(Credit: Zimbra)With the release, the company, a division of Yahoo, released the source code for the product, called ZimbraME (Java Mobile Edition).
People can also use the software with a commercially-supported version of the Zimbra Collaboration Suite 5.0, which the company released earlier this year.
With Java-enabled phones, people can use the downloadable software to get e-mail or access Zimbra's calendar.
I fell in love with Zimbra's Ajax-style interface the first time I saw it.
Slick, powerful, and much more extensible than Microsoft Outlook ever dreamed of being. There was just one thing I hated about the Zimbra experience: the browser artifacts around the application that made me feel like I was stuck in a Web site, rather than living in an application that just happened to leverage the power of the Web.
No more. For the past few weeks I've been using Zimbra's new Prism-based Desktop. Verdict? It rocks. Take a look at the UI below:
... Read moreAt Zimbra, the game plan remains largely the same, even after consumer Web giant Yahoo acquired the company last year for $350 million. But what happens if Microsoft succeeds in its acquisition of Yahoo?
Zimbra on Tuesday will release a new version of its e-mail and collaboration software, with features for reading mail and creating documents offline from a Web browser.
Zimbra Documents lets people create and share documents and mashups from a browser.
(Credit: Zimbra)Zimbra Collaboration Suite 5.0 also adds support for BlackBerry clients and Java 2 mobile-equipped phones and now has integrated instant messaging.
The features were part of Zimbra's product plans before Yahoo acquired it and its business plan remains largely the same, according to Satish Dharmaraj, Zimbra co-founder and now Yahoo vice president.
While Yahoo Mail is aimed primarily at consumers, Zimbra sells its server software to universities, businesses, and Internet service providers. Not counting a deal with Comcast last year, it has 11 million people using its software, said Dharmaraj.
"My charter and business objective inside Yahoo is to spread as wide a net as possible for Zimbra in ISPs, .edu's (educational organizations), and the business space worldwide," Dharmaraj said.
The company was founded on the notion that there should be better Web-based, cross-platform alternatives to Microsoft Office. So its sales to universities and businesses compete directly with Microsoft. (Dharmaraj and I spoke before the proposed Microsoft-Yahoo merger was made public.)
In the consumer Web market, engineers are starting to improve Yahoo Mail with some of Zimbra's technology, he added. For instance, Zimbra's calendar application will find its way into Yahoo Mail.
Zimbra's technology is based entirely on Ajax, the Web-programming model that allows people to use sophisticated features like mashups from a Web browser.
Its Desktop application in the new version lets people from a browser create and share text documents and embed spreadsheets within them.
The offline capability of Desktop will allow someone to access different e-mail accounts, such as Gmail and corporate mail. In the Tuesday release, that feature is in beta and is expected to be generally available later in the first quarter. Zimbra provides an open-source version of its server software and charges for a higher-end commercial edition.
Update: Dharmaraj on Saturday posted a response to a question about Microsoft's proposed merger on a product forum, saying that "nothing has changed."
It's incredible to see all the things that can be done in a browser these days. It's also incredible that we persist in exposing it all through a browser.
I don't know about you, but I don't want my 21st-century software life lived within the ugly vestiges of the 20th century. The browser, for me, is early days with "browsing." Who browses anymore? Who could?
I like the way Google does it on my BlackBerry. Can I access Google Maps, News, etc. in a browser? Yes. But I like having separate icons for them on my BlackBerry. I like to think of them as distinct applications, in other words.
... Read moreI just heard from an unimpeachable source close to the company that Zimbra's revenue last year was ~$6 million. (Though the more interesting number is the significant increase they've had this year (on track to hit $20 million), which points to a strong future.) That makes the $350 million acquisition by Yahoo outstandingly profitable for Satish and crew. That's a ~60X valuation (on 12 months trailing revenues).
Was Yahoo foolish? Yahoo isn't a foolish company. I think it means that Yahoo believes Yahoo plus Zimbra is worth more than $350 million, and I think it's right. Citrix spent $500 million on a company that had $1 million in 12 months trailing revenues. Foolish? Not when you consider the future.
... Read moreThis is very good news. We've long needed real competition in the e-mail market, given how much time people spend in e-mail. Now the organization that gave us competition in the browser market has decided to get serious about e-mail. This is a Very Good Thing.
Mozilla (on Monday) announced a new initiative to stimulate innovation in Internet mail and communications. Mozilla plans to develop Internet communications software based on the Thunderbird product, code and brand. The new initiative also aims to nurture a robust developer ecosystem in order to drive improvements through open source and community innovation, in the tradition of the Firefox web browser.
Why is this such a good thing? Let me count the ways...
... Read more
I really don't like the iPhone. OK, I just don't like its horrific typing interface. I've tried to convince myself that I like hitting a flat panel, but I don't. I hate it. Some things are best left tactile...
But I must admit I was tempted when John Robb shot me an e-mail indicating that Zimbra was developing its application to run "on" the iPhone. Then I read about it again in Dan Farber's blog. Fortunately, there's $600 worth of reasons not to cave in on this one.
But I'm tempted. Sorely tempted. Looks so pretty, and I'm so superficial... :-)
Speaking of temptation, I'm pushing to have my employer switch from our current mail server to Zimbra. We're coming up on 33 percent of the company running Macs now, with a smattering of Linux too. Zimbra's treatment of the Mac as a first-class citizen is looking very good right about now.
I know Stephen O'Grady has had good experiences with Zimbra. Anything one can share about their experience in moving to Zimbra? Either positive or negative? You can either use the TalkBack forum or send me an e-mail.
