outllok as a client

[terry712]

as i have never done this scenario - i need a list of disadvantages from people who have

ie - doesnt support mapi

does the backup feature work
can you view your archeive ok
do the auto delete rules etc work
sharing callandars etc

thanks

 

[ITsmyfault]

oulook as client - I know one firm doing this. They are using the plugin ( no longer supported, but apparently it works)

My issue with this is simple:
1. Outlook runs decently well with an Exchange server on the backend, but run as a client with a local PST file it is a useless piece of garbage, IMHO. I have 2 users running this way at the moment, and it is nothing but trouble. This gets lost, that gets lost, things dissapear, PST gets corrupt, etc. You can't share the PST without going to 3rd party apps (like workgroup share) and backup is a problem unless the user closes out of it.
2. Outlook is slow running against groupwise IME. really slow. I have not run it with the plug in, that probably helps a lot. Native OL against Groupwise is a non-starter IMHO. It takes minutes to launch.
3. You now have opened yourself up to the most vulnerable part of Exchange - the Outlook client. The overwhelming majority of viruses written are written against Outlook. I think it's cheaper (and simpler!) to just paint a big target on your forehead and drive down to a local shooting range.

4 - Don't know, but *highly* doubt you can read your archive or use the backup feature (use restore area I assume?) or any of the groupware functions. Not 100% on this though. As it is not supported by either vendor I think you are almost asking for trouble as any hiccup that comes along is going to be something you own.. is that the path you want to go down?

 

[terry712]

it's a project managers suggestion - i just want to get the disadavantages listed

i'm like you and have a deep routed hatred of exchange/outlook
i agree wholeheartedly - i beleive it's suicide

 

[ITsmyfault]

I understand.. am going through the same exercise right now (again) and putting together costs of what a migration would cost (probably north of $70k in our case..) Mgt wants certain features and I am trying to figure out how to deliver them. What they have no idea about is the cost (upfront and recurring), staff impact (hiring another IT person, retraining our employees, etc) The only place GW gets a black eye here is on the address book (PIM) functionality and on Blackberry integration. The BES for GW is supposed to be out soon which should take care of 1 thing. There are still PIM issues to be dealt with. The system itself is extrememly reliable and easy to manage and inexpensive. Simple to patch, simple to upgrade.. it does so many things well.

 

[marvhuffaker]

I've seen GW to Exchange (ANd Exchange 5.x to Exchange 2kx) migration projects go into the 100K's just for the project. Licensing, new hardware, labor.. And that doesn't include ongoing support, training, cost of recurring downtime, etc.

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[ITsmyfault]

I keep getting the baloney from the new partners that it ran great at their old place and there were no problems..yadda yadda yadda.. which is completely at odds with what I get from most of my counterparts who run it. (I have one counterpart who was down for 3 days while doing the migration from 5.5 to 2k which he somehow is ok with now)
Where my nephew used to be sysadmin they lost the server twice (they would not let him spend any money or test anything..) another friend was down for 15 hours even with MSFT's guys on the phone. I just don't trust the thing. Are there any good websites with specs of avg downtime or availability or things of that nature regarding email systems?