Open-Xchange
Encyclopedia
Open-Xchange Server is an open source
project sponsored by Open-Xchange, Inc., developing collaboration software; i.e. email, calendaring, address book, etc. Product offerings based on Open-Xchange Server are marketed under the brand of Open-Xchange Server and various other names, e.g. 1&1 MailXchange, Network Solutions Business Email and others. Open-Xchange Server is part of the Lisog
open source stack initiative.
collaboration software stack that features an integrated web 2.0
e-mail
user interface, calendar, contact, and task management functions. It also offers basic document management and sharing.
Open-Xchange Server supports free standards and proprietary environments like Apple iSync and Microsoft Outlook via commercial extensions.
The latest Open-Xchange Server beta versions provide social networking capabilities, enabling automated publish and subscribe capabilities between instances of Open-Xchange Server and social networking sites like LinkedIn
, Facebook
, and various Google
services.
The service runs on the backend, i.e. on the server, so that data connections stay active even if a user goes off line.
These social capabilities are available at the preview server http://ox.io – the place with the most recent development releases from Open-Xchange.
, SUSE-Linux-Open-Xchange-Server (SLOX, an OEM version of Open-Xchange, 2002–2005) and Comfire before that (2000–2002).
At CeBit 2006 Open-Xchange and 1&1 jointly agreed to build a product for hosted deployments. Programming was done by Open-Xchange, testing and optimization - including large scale user studies - by 1&1. The result was a platform independent, browser based GUI
and server software. In 2009, Open-Xchange claims to have more than 15 million users as results from deals with software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers including Versatel
, Dotster, NameCheap and others.
All components are available as open source
and also as readily compiled packages for many Linux distribution
s for download.
Networks' Finalist in the Technology sector.
In 2006, Open-Xchange receives Product Excellence Award from LinuxWorld
.
In 2007, Linux Readers' Choice Award.
In 2009, Linux Magazine
listed Open-Xchange among the "Companies To Watch".
In 2010, Open-Xchange is named to Lead411's New York City
Hot 125.
In April 2010, the company receives April 2010 Editor’s Choice Award of the website findmyhost.com.
-based backend, implemented as an OSGi
bundle, a frontend implemented in JavaScript
and various extensions.
Since March 2006 Open-Xchange Server supports SSL and TLS
, thereby enabling encrypted communication between the clients and the Groupware server.
based user interface enabling operating system independent, installation free deployment via Web browser
. Alternatively end users can access Open-Xchange Server via client software like e.g. Mozilla
Thunderbird
, Apple Inc. iSync
or Microsoft
Outlook
.
(SaaS) offerings via service providers. Local servers for Groupware solutions become redundant and can be replaced by much more efficient and cheaper installations at data centers.
, Nürnberg, and New York
together with implementation partners and the Open Source
community around Open-Xchange Server.
Open-Xchange Server is produced in the openSUSE Build Service
environment and can be downloaded from there or from Open-Xchange, Inc.
There are three commercially supported versions of Open-Xchange Server available:
, version 2. The Open-Xchange Server Frontend is released under Creative Commons
Share Alike, Non Commercial, Attribution
.
These licenses allow free use, also in commercial environments. The restriction to Non Commercial in the Creative Commons
license for the Frontend restricts re-distribution to third parties, i.e. hosted deployments for third parties.
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
project sponsored by Open-Xchange, Inc., developing collaboration software; i.e. email, calendaring, address book, etc. Product offerings based on Open-Xchange Server are marketed under the brand of Open-Xchange Server and various other names, e.g. 1&1 MailXchange, Network Solutions Business Email and others. Open-Xchange Server is part of the Lisog
Lisog
Lisog is a German open source non profit business development organization founded in 2005 in Stuttgart. Lisog has about 120 members and branch offices in Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Zurich, Palo Alto and Toronto. The members are providers, user companies, and scientific partners like universities.In...
open source stack initiative.
Overview
Open-Xchange Server is an open sourceOpen source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
collaboration software stack that features an integrated web 2.0
Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
user interface, calendar, contact, and task management functions. It also offers basic document management and sharing.
Open-Xchange Server supports free standards and proprietary environments like Apple iSync and Microsoft Outlook via commercial extensions.
The latest Open-Xchange Server beta versions provide social networking capabilities, enabling automated publish and subscribe capabilities between instances of Open-Xchange Server and social networking sites like LinkedIn
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a business-related social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. , LinkedIn reports more than 120 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. The site is available in English, French,...
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, and various Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
services.
The service runs on the backend, i.e. on the server, so that data connections stay active even if a user goes off line.
These social capabilities are available at the preview server http://ox.io – the place with the most recent development releases from Open-Xchange.
History
The company was established in 2000 to provide a Linux-based, open source alternative to Microsoft ExchangeMicrosoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server is the server side of a client–server, collaborative application product developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Servers line of server products and is used by enterprises using Microsoft infrastructure products...
, SUSE-Linux-Open-Xchange-Server (SLOX, an OEM version of Open-Xchange, 2002–2005) and Comfire before that (2000–2002).
At CeBit 2006 Open-Xchange and 1&1 jointly agreed to build a product for hosted deployments. Programming was done by Open-Xchange, testing and optimization - including large scale user studies - by 1&1. The result was a platform independent, browser based GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
and server software. In 2009, Open-Xchange claims to have more than 15 million users as results from deals with software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers including Versatel
Versatel
Tele2 Netherlands Holding N.V. is a listed telecommunications company operating on the Dutch and Belgian market. It has more than 1,900 employees and over 1 million customers...
, Dotster, NameCheap and others.
All components are available as open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
and also as readily compiled packages for many Linux distribution
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
s for download.
Awards
In 2005, Open-Xchange is CNETCNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
Networks' Finalist in the Technology sector.
In 2006, Open-Xchange receives Product Excellence Award from LinuxWorld
LinuxWorld
LinuxWorld has various meanings:* LinuxWorld Conference and Expo - a series of Linux conferences worldwide that became OpenSource World in 2009.* LinuxWorld Magazine - a print publication produced from 2003 to 2006...
.
In 2007, Linux Readers' Choice Award.
In 2009, Linux Magazine
Linux Magazine
Linux Magazine is a European professional journal. It addresses itself to readers who work professionally with operating systems based around the Linux kernel. Linux Magazine is published by Linux New Media AG and was born after the great success of Linux-Magazin...
listed Open-Xchange among the "Companies To Watch".
In 2010, Open-Xchange is named to Lead411's New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Hot 125.
In April 2010, the company receives April 2010 Editor’s Choice Award of the website findmyhost.com.
Technology
Open-Xchange Server consists of a JavaJava (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
-based backend, implemented as an OSGi
OSGi
The Open Services Gateway initiative framework is a module system and service platform for the Java programming language that implements a complete and dynamic component model, something that does not exist in standalone Java/VM environments...
bundle, a frontend implemented in JavaScript
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
and various extensions.
Backend
The backend can be deployed as a single-instance server or as a scalable, fault-tolerant cluster providing up to several million virtual instances of Open-Xchange Server for many tenants concurrently. The backend supports a comprehensive range of protocols for configuration and communication with the frontend. Details can be found at http://oxpedia.org.Since March 2006 Open-Xchange Server supports SSL and TLS
Transport Layer Security
Transport Layer Security and its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer , are cryptographic protocols that provide communication security over the Internet...
, thereby enabling encrypted communication between the clients and the Groupware server.
Frontend
An AJAXAjax
- Mythology :* Ajax , son of Telamon, ruler of Salamis and a hero in the Trojan War, also known as "Ajax the Great"* Ajax the Lesser, son of Oileus, ruler of Locris and the leader of the Locrian contingent during the Trojan War.- People :...
based user interface enabling operating system independent, installation free deployment via Web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
. Alternatively end users can access Open-Xchange Server via client software like e.g. Mozilla
Mozilla
Mozilla is a term used in a number of ways in relation to the Mozilla.org project and the Mozilla Foundation, their defunct commercial predecessor Netscape Communications Corporation, and their related application software....
Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, open source, cross-platform e-mail and news client developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The project strategy is modeled after Mozilla Firefox, a project aimed at creating a web browser...
, Apple Inc. iSync
ISync
iSync is a software application published by Apple Inc. It runs only under Mac OS X and is used to synchronize contact and calendar data from Address Book and iCal with many non-Apple SyncML-enabled mobile phones via a Bluetooth or USB connection. Support for many devices is built-in, with newer...
or Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
.
SaaS
A core capability of Open-Xchange Server is the ability to run in hosted environments, providing highly scalable Software as a ServiceSoftware as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
(SaaS) offerings via service providers. Local servers for Groupware solutions become redundant and can be replaced by much more efficient and cheaper installations at data centers.
Social OX
Centrally hosted web applications are challenging from an integration perspective. From version 6.10 Open-Xchange Server supports Server Side Mashups, addressing these challenges in a generic and simplistic approach. End users can configure data integration by cutting and pasting URLs from one instance of Open-Xchange Server to another. The same applies for 3rd party applications supporting SocialOX. This enables an open data ecosystem, an open data cloud in a standards compliant ecosystem for private data sources and company data alike. A preview can be found at ox.ioCommunity
Development of Open-Xchange Server is mainly sponsored by Open-Xchange, Inc. in OlpeOlpe, Germany
Olpe is situated in the foothills of the Ebbegebirge in North Rhine-Westphalia, roughly 60 km east of Cologne and 20 km northwest of Siegen. It is part of the Regierungsbezirk of Arnsberg and is the seat of the district of Olpe.- Location :...
, Nürnberg, and New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
together with implementation partners and the Open Source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
community around Open-Xchange Server.
Open-Xchange Server is produced in the openSUSE Build Service
OpenSUSE Build Service
The Open Build Service is an open and complete distribution development platform designed to encourage developers to compile packages for multiple Linux distributions including openSUSE, Red Hat, Mandriva, Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian...
environment and can be downloaded from there or from Open-Xchange, Inc.
There are three commercially supported versions of Open-Xchange Server available:
- one version for local installations, replacing the previous edition, Open-Xchange Server 5: Open-Xchange Server Appliance Edition
- one version targeted at integration partners. This version only contains Open-Xchange Server, but for example no e-mailE-mailElectronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
stack: Open-Xchange Server Edition - one version for hosted offerings, run in data centers in multi tenant configurations: Open-Xchange Hosting Edition
Licensing
As of August 2004 the Open-Xchange Server Backend has been released under the GNU General Public LicenseGNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
, version 2. The Open-Xchange Server Frontend is released under Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
Share Alike, Non Commercial, Attribution
Attribution (copyright)
Attribution in copyright law, is the requirement to acknowledge or credit the author of a work which is used or appears in another work. Attribution is required by most copyright and copyleft licenses, such as the GNU Free Documentation License and Creative Commons licenses.Attribution is often...
.
These licenses allow free use, also in commercial environments. The restriction to Non Commercial in the Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
license for the Frontend restricts re-distribution to third parties, i.e. hosted deployments for third parties.
Functional Overview
- Portal
- Appointments
- Contacts
- Tasks
- Document ManagementDocument management systemA document management system is a computer system used to track and store electronic documents and/or images of paper documents. It is usually also capable of keeping track of the different versions created by different users . The term has some overlap with the concepts of content management...
- WebMail
- UWA Widgets
- WebDAVWebDAVWeb-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning is a set of methods based on the Hypertext Transfer Protocol that facilitates collaboration between users in editing and managing documents and files stored on World Wide Web servers...
-Interface - JavaJava (programming language)Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
API - OutlookMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
- and MacOSX-Plugin (commercial offerings) - SyncMLSyncMLSyncML is the former name for a platform-independent information synchronization standard. The project is currently referred to as Open Mobile Alliance Data Synchronization and Device Management...
-Interface (for fee, via partners)