You may have heard via the Microsoft website that we’re offering Dovecot Mail as a Service via the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.
Some of you may be wondering why open source advocates like ourselves are partnering with Microsoft, so here’s my explanation.
The fact is that although Open-Xchange and Microsoft might compete with the OX App Suite and Office 365 respectively, there are now several opportunities in the market where it makes good sense for the two companies to cooperate.
For example, we estimate that despite the growth of social media messaging the sustained popularity of email means mail storage needs at ISPs is still growing at 40 per cent per year. Using Azure, we’re able to help our customers (like this leading Email service in Finland) meet that storage capacity demand while also decreasing operational costs. And many more of our customers want to use the cloud to do the same, so we offer Dovecot Mail as a Service on the Azure platform.
The economics just add up. Using Azure we can offer cloud-based email for $1 per managed mailbox while also delivering an enterprise ready and scalable turn-key email solution.
I think it’s also fair to say that the Azure platform is a remarkable strategic component of Microsoft’s future, and a display of openness from Microsoft, especially for a company that was not noted for openness in the past. We’re finding that Microsoft is a responsive partner and, crucially, a willing supporter of innovative open source platforms like Dovecot and OX App Suite.
Of course we have been critics of Microsoft in the past, but I believe in giving credit where it’s due and exploring the best possible options for our customers. Which is why I’m also happy to show our carrier-grade Azure-based solution at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference from July 12-16 in Orlando, Florida.
I’ll be there along with other key members of Dovecot team at the Open Source Booth, so if you’re at the conference please feel free to come along for a demo. We’d be delighted to welcome you and tell you more.