Zimbra, a start-up based in San Mateo, California, unveiled an open source messaging server and client that uses an AJAX-based model for delivering the web service. The Zimbra Collaboration Suite is multi-tiered; on the back end, the collaboration server integrates search, archiving, discovery, anti-spam and anti-virus/security features into a single messaging platform. On the front end, a rich, thin, AJAX-based web client brings e-mail to life through web mash-ups; for example, when viewing an e-mail, users can see their schedule by hovering over a date, or see the status of a purchase order by hovering over the number. Additionally, it is compatible with all leading browsers and enables e-mail, calendar and contact functions to work more effectively across a variety of desktop clients, including Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird and Apple Mail.
Zimbra's Public License package is available free of charge. Zimbra's Network Standard Edition is available for $30 per mailbox per year.
Zimbra has raised $16 million in series A and B funding from Accel Partners, Benchmark Capital, Redpoint Ventures and Eric Hahn, former Netscape CTO.
http://www.zimbra.com/
- AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a web delivery model that makes use of JavaScript to dynamically send requests to the server without reloading a web page, and then parse and work with XML documents. Google is using AJAX for Gmail, Google Maps and Google Earth.
