# Open Source Exchange Server Replacement

## paulj

Good evening all,

I do some voluntary work with a charity organisation, and recently they have been told their lotus notes service will no longer be provided by their head office, and that they will have to make their own arrangements. I suggested an open source solution may be preferable to Google cloud based services, or continuing to pay Lotus (or Microsoft) annually for a service. Therefore I have some questions:

Is my assertion about an open source server based solution being better than a cloud based solution correct (or am I a luddite?!)?

If an open source solution is better, which system would you recommend?

How difficult is it to set up. If I was to volunteer, will I be wishing I hadn't within a few weeks?!

Thanks in advance!

Rgds.,

Paul

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## paulj

No replies? Surely someone can give me some advice? I would hate to see Microsoft get their money!

Thanks!

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## Jaglover

Maybe it would help if you elaborated a bit on what exactly this software is supposed to be capable of. Maybe an alternative would do instead of replacement.

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## cach0rr0

 *paulj wrote:*   

> If I was to volunteer, will I be wishing I hadn't within a few weeks?!
> 
> 

 

yes. basically, because *someone* will have to have an ongoing responsibility for managing this, I would opt for going with google's "cloud" services, if these guys get it for free especially. 

I would absolutely roll an open source setup for a company where I worked, since I'm already present, already have full visibility into any problems, and will be experiencing everything myself. 

But for this sort of deal you may find yourself having a full time job you didn't sign on for. I'm no fan of ceding control over my mail to other folks, but this is a situation in which I would. 

I say this too, in spite of us (my paid gig) being about to move off of Rackspace's dodgy hosted Exchange to a cyrus+postfix setup of my own doing. I'm comfortable with this, because I'm already our infra overlord, and I know that I know enough to manage it without issue.

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## cach0rr0

 *Jaglover wrote:*   

> Maybe it would help if you elaborated a bit on what exactly this software is supposed to be capable of. Maybe an alternative would do instead of replacement.

 

++

the title is misleading

people may not click this thread because, well, there isnt a one-stop "Exchange replacement" in the open source world. 

If all you need is SMTP, IMAP/POP, and optionally some kind of webmail...well yeah, there are FOSS alternatives. But you don't have any one product that provides them all, as you do with Exchange, and even though you can cobble together a few different pieces of software to get you comparable functionality, it's just that, you're banging together a bunch of things that aren't going to be nearly as tightly integrated, not nearly as easy to manage/maintain/etc.

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## paulj

Sorry Guys - my mistake with the poor title! Based on the support requirement, I have recommended they go for the cloud option.  As cach0rr0 says, if I worked there, and they cut me enough slack, I would roll my own, but under the circumstances, I decided not to offer!

Thanks for all your comments! I promise to be more diligent with the post next time   :Wink: 

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## cach0rr0

 *paulj wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Thanks for all your comments! I promise to be more diligent with the post next time  

 

 :Laughing: 

didnt mean for my post to come off as "no, bad poster!"

just, the title is why i didnt click the thread myself, assuming others had a similar mindset

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## paulj

No no - I didn't take it like that - I agree the topic wasn't so accurate   :Smile: 

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