Large enterprises with hundreds or thousands of email users have advanced requirements and rely on email to an even greater extent than do small organizations, in large part because many users in these organizations are geographically distributed. In addition to the same requirements of low-end enterprise environments, large organizations generally require a refined quality of service and more features and functions, including the following:
- Calendaring, sharing and permissions
- Detailed reports and usage statistics
- Custom filtering and message rules
- Easy to use Webmail with sophisticated features that emulate the full client experience
- Integration with other network systems
- High availability and basic clustering
Although there is actually a much larger list of features and functions that are required for email by larger enterprises, the list above should be more than sufficient to outline the type of requirements that must be met by a high-end email solution.
Not surprisingly, Exchange meets the needs of this type of environment more fully than it can meet the needs of smaller organizations. In particular, when a large organization has built its network using Microsoft services and applications – Windows Server, Windows for client devices, Outlook and Internet Explorer – and coupled these with a fully functional Exchange deployment, the result is a robust and full-featured environment that satisfies the needs of most large enterprise environments.
However, problems can arise if any of these infrastructure elements are replaced. For example, if the Outlook email client is replaced with Mozilla Thunderbird, groupware and sharing are largely disabled. If Entourage is used instead of Outlook, Mac users cannot synchronize tasks with the Exchange Server. If Internet Explorer is replaced with Firefox or Safari, some of the robust functionality of Outlook Web Access is eliminated because these non-Microsoft browsers do not support ActiveX. The same principles apply across the entire solution in a similar way because everything has been designed to work as a complete set of tools.
However, today’s networking environments more often require the use of a number of sub-systems, some of which are not supported by Microsoft. This lack of interoperability with third-party technology can be a serious drawback in Exchange-enabled environments. It appears unlikely that the problems noted above will be resolved anytime soon (although a beta fix to address the task problem is available for Entourage users that access Exchange Server).
This is yet another area in which AXIGEN provides a compelling alternative to Exchange. Up until recently, the product lacked complete support for Active Directory and third party calendaring. However, since the launch of Version 7, a full management console plug-in was added for Active Directory integration along with bidirectional synchronization; sync support was added for LDAP, as well. The other services in AXIGEN are also compatible with a variety of client applications. For example, the Webmail interface works with most of the modern browsers that support advanced JavaScript functionalities. AXIGEN’s calendaring features are compatible with Outlook through the native MAPI extension or through the server’s iCalendar support.
3.5 Large-scale Solutions
Very large-scale environments, such as those operated by service providers and hosting companies, need to be able to address a wide variety of requirements for both sophisticated and non-sophisticated users. In addition to extraordinarily robust performance and very high availability, some of the advanced features required in these environments include:
- Advanced clustering support
- Disaster recovery capabilities
- Virtually limitless scalability
- Full compatibility with client applications
- Very high performance in terms of message throughput
- Very high reliability
While Exchange is used in very large-scale environments, Exchange relies on Microsoft-developed clustering technology only and inherits a limitation of a maximum of 16 servers per cluster. This becomes a significant problem once the environment must serve more than 500,000 end-users because many more systems are required to meet the demands of this large a user base.
AXIGEN is also compatible with Microsoft’s failover clustering technology and, while used in such an environment, inherits the same limitations. However, because it is not limited to deployment on Windows Server, AXIGEN is also compatible with Linux clustering solutions, such as the one offered by Red Hat with their Advanced Platform line of products. As a result, when AXIGEN is deployed in a Linux clustering environment it is able to sustain an unlimited number of nodes for a cluster (200+ nodes). The actual limitations that apply are networking related and can be overcome with ease if the need exists.
In terms of compatibility, AXIGEN meets the same requirements in a high-end enterprise scenario. Moreover, it is much harder for a free email service provider to impose a single email client on its users (e.g., Microsoft Outlook) for full compatibility with the service. In any AXIGEN deployment, the end-user is given a variety of choices in terms of supported client applications and access scenarios.
In terms of performance, AXIGEN has been tested to perform at very high levels in a large-scale environment. The server is able to process up to 760 messages per second (albeit on high end hardware), or about 65 million messages per day on a single server. If we assume that the average user process 100 messages per day in a large-scale hosted environment, that translates to a single server supporting 650,000 users. Very few email servers currently on the market are capable of providing that level of performance.
4. About AXIGEN
Established in 2001, Gecad Technologies focuses on the development and distribution of innovative messaging solutions under the brand name AXIGEN.AXIGEN is an easy, secure and powerful mail server based on innovative technologies, providing unmatched manageability for system administrators. Integrating all modules in a robust messaging solution, AXIGEN is developed for demanding users, from small businesses to large service providers.
AXIGEN was developed with some key guidelines in mind that have been maintained throughout the product development process. These guidelines can still be observed today and make the server stand out from the crowd in virtually any comparison. Further, AXIGEN is regularly updated, with at least two new major, feature-rich releases offered each year since the first public release in 2005.
In terms of development, Gecad’s commitment is to build AXIGEN as a worldwide technological milestone. The underlying design philosophy is that email server offerings should meet the specific messaging requirements of any entity, whether a small business or a service provider, while offering a very low TCO.
AXIGEN is sold primarily through partners on a worldwide basis. Gecad is committed to establishing and maintaining strong relationships with distributors, resellers and OEM partners all over the world. By integrating the AXIGEN messaging solution into their product portfolio, AXIGEN partners can expand the range of solutions offered to their customers and generate additional revenue streams for their businesses.
5. Summary
Email is critical for workplace communications. It is so critical, in fact, that email has become something of a utility – it must provide the features that users and organizations require, but at as low a cost as possible, just like a water or electric utility. This is a particularly important consideration during economic recessions in which IT budgets are being held constant or are being cut, while demands on email functionality and reliability continue to increase.Microsoft Exchange is a logical choice for satisfying the demands of users and organizations that rely heavily on email. However, it is more expensive to license, deploy and manage than many alternatives. AXIGEN is one of those alternatives that offers excellent email functionality for organizations of all sizes, including hosted providers, but at much lower cost than for Exchange.