Yahoo's Zimbra e-mail server gets an update, at least for now

By Tim Conneally, BetaNews

February 5, 2008, 12:21 PM

Yahoo has updated its open source collaboration server software, Zimbra, now including Blackberry support and Yahoo Maps and search integration. However, if Microsoft acquires Yahoo, will this be the last update we see for Zimbra?

Zimbra is an open source solution that acts as an alternative to Microsoft Exchange Server, supporting e-mail, calendaring, contacts, tasks, and more. The software was acquired last September by Yahoo in an acquisition valued at $350 million.

The browser-based version of the Zimbra client receives a number of improvements in its v5.0 upgrade. It now offers support for Blackberry Enterprise Server, and subsequently Blackberry devices, instant messaging, document collaboration via Wiki, file sharing, and integration of Yahoo's search and mapping functionality.

The desktop equivalent now supports non-Zimbra mail accounts (Yahoo Mail, GMail, POP/IMAP,) but does not yet have instant messaging or document collaboration features added to the Web-based client.

If Microsoft were to obtain Yahoo, Zimbra could be one of Yahoo's projects that falls through the cracks. Recently, Microsoft has managed to engage itself with the open source community through its Shared Source Initiative. But more importantly, Zimbra is a direct competitor to one of the company's most widely used enterprise solutions. So Zimbra's fate may depend in large measure upon Yahoo maintaining some degree of its independence going forward.