Zimbra Collaboration Reviews

Zimbra is open source. They got absorbed by Yahoo, but they're still primarily open-source and have continued to extend their technology. A lot of other products like Microsoft Exchange offer email or collaboration features, but they are not as fast as Zimbra. And with Exchange, it's not easy to purchase the license. And Zimbra is more reliable in terms of integration.

Yahoo acquired Zimbra, and Yahoo Mail is a web-based email, not a software platform. So as part of the acquisition, they have to continue providing support to the open-source license holders. But lately, they have decreased their support for the open-source community, and they're pivoting to the enterprise market. So they're starting to transition to a proprietary cloud-based solution. And when they adopt this proprietary solution, it won't be good. So hopefully, in the future, they'll continue to offer an open-source version. That's what makes Zimbra trustworthy for users as an email host. Email is still essential for communities and businesses. Even if you are currently using instant messaging or any communications tool, you still need email. 

Maybe Zimbra can improve by implementing an architecture that mimics social media, like offering short messages instead of just email. Instant messaging can mean light messaging or group messaging, like a B2B chat or something like that.

We've been using Zimbra for about four or five years.

Zimbra is roughly as scalable as Microsoft, but I haven't deployed Zimbra for any huge clients yet. For example, all of my clients have fewer than 2,000 users. So if they had more than 2,000, I couldn't say whether Zimbra could manage that or not. But I know that Microsoft can work with clients that serve 10,000-plus users. 

So in my experience, I can confidently say that Zimbra is good enough for 2,000 client users. But, at the same time, if my client needs more than that and we have two options—Zimbra or Microsoft—I'm going with Microsoft because many admins will speak to Microsoft's ability to handle that many.

It's easy for me because I have worked with Zimbra concepts since Yahoo acquired it in 2007, but I can't speak for the average users.

I rate Zimbra Collaboration eight out of 10. It stacks up well compared to OWA or Microsoft Exchange. I've developed solutions for my clients using all of these. And compared to other web applications, I prefer the web-hosted Zimbra. I think Zimbra is more reliable and competitive than Microsoft because they offer an open-source version. 

Email in Zimbra:

The email application allows users to activate the Zimlets "request read receipt". For me, it's a brand new and useful support for email services, which I have not yet experienced elsewhere.

Besides, the interface is very convenient for busy people while scanning the incoming messages/emails and at the same time opening them (3 specific columns/areas of the main "Mail" tab).

Despite sticking with Gmail for over a decade in terms of business, Zimbra have impressed me with some other aspects as well... If the time comes, I would prefer Zimbra to my current solution.

Zimbra mail reminds me of Hotmail, which I did employ in the past. And comparing it to other email free services like Yahoo, Gmail, etc., Zimbra is still on the way to getting in touch with a wider audience, such as: employers, employees, educators, officers, etc., because it has been a symbol of the open-source community and such a powerful resource for students and educators to explore further, as well as to contribute. 

Calendar, tasks in Zimbra:

Different than other applications I have been using for these functions, namely: calendar, tasks, document, etc. Zimbra simply saves time, as these are attached to the main interface by a tab instead of a link to a different page. So, it's recommended for businessmen, especially.

Server deployment and the GUI for emails should be better.

I have used it for a few months.

From the server side: the installation/deployment should be more user-friendly.

We are using it as an email server and collaboration suite.

It has all collaboration features, such as document sharing, video conferencing, chatting, task sharing, and calendar sharing.

It is awesome in terms of stability and scalability.

Zimbra should provide a desktop client. Right now, we are using a web browser for accessing our emails. There should also be a desktop client.

I have been using this solution for approximately nine years.

Its stability is very good.

Its scalability is very good. We have approximately 900 users. We have one person for its maintenance.

Their technical support is good.

We migrated from IBM Lotus Domino.

We are using perpetual licenses. We have deployed it in our local data center, and we buy perpetual licenses on a per-user basis.

I would rate Zimbra Collaboration an eight out of 10.

On-premises

Zimbra Collaboration can be used as an email server.

Zimbra Collaboration has integrated a lot of their party tools and they have good documentation available.

The solution could improve by making it easier to use.

I have been using Zimbra Collaboration for approximately six years.

The solution is stable.

The solution is scalable. However, all the mailbox details are stored in MySQL or MongoDB. If it is an enterprise-level configuration, then we need to plan for the high availability. This is another challenge in Zimbra. If those things were fixed, then it will be really a good solution.

Zimbra Collaboration has online support communities that are very good at providing detailed information.

I have used Microsoft Exchange.

The installation is not difficult. However, initially, management will be difficult but once you have used it for a while you will not find any challenges.

I rate  Zimbra Collaborationseven out of ten.

The Zimbra Collaboration Server has many pros that are useful in a business. It has a centralized web based interface for managing the server console. A user can easily use it as a web based & app base on their desktop, laptop, i-phone and smart phone. An inside user console user can send mail, chat, video call, and voice call with other people. You are able to create a centralized address book on a server so that anyone can import and export contacts on their account. Sync facilities make it easier for all your device data updates. Additionally, you can set your G-mail, yahoo, and Hotmail accounts to import their addresses as well. Anti-spam, antivirus, and directory services can integrate with the server. Like LDAP, and Active Directory… you can design polices with the help of a class of service (CoS) for end user features like quota and storage. The search over internet facility is also included with the latest version of Zimbra.

There can be difficulties resolving problems on the server side when problems arise. Before installation, you have to resolve all dependencies, otherwise it is very difficult to setup the server.

VMware Zimbra is an enterprise-class E-mail, calendar, and collaboration solution, built for the both public and private clouds. With a redesigned browser-based interface, Zimbra offers the most innovative messaging experience available today, connecting end users to the information and activity in their personal clouds.