Groupwise or Exchange

[summoner]

We are a small company that uses an outside host for e-mail. Due to expense of additional mailboxes for a growing number of employees along the unreliability of this host, we are looking at an in-house solution email server. We run both Netware and Windows 2K servers so we have the necessary NDS and active directory for either groupwise or exchange. I don't have any experience administering either mail service. Our top priorities are:
1. Drop it in without much re-configuration
2. Reliability (we're moving away from outsourced e-mail because of reliability issues, we need this server to look like a good investment to management.)
3. Security (virus isues, server attacks etc...)
4. Ease of administration for IT staff
5. Ease of use for users
6. Cost of server software and licences
7. Burden on hardware (not a very strong issue since any server now comes with a beefy processor(s) but good to mention anyway)

I am giving equal consideration to groupwise and exchange but perhaps some open minded people who have worked with both can share some recommendations. I will be posting this message in the exchange forum as well. Thanks in advance.

 

[mrjhat10]

Summoner,
I support both Exchange and GW. To be honest, I am usually driven to either piece by what my needs are for a specific situation. As a consultant and engineer, I see a need sometimes for GW, and sometimes for Exchange. I will comment on your list below.

1. Drop it in without much re-configuration
--Either system is going to require DNS and workstation changes to support your new email server.

2. Reliability (we're moving away from outsourced e-mail because of reliability issues, we need this server to look like a good investment to management.)
--I see both products as reliable in my view. Reliability is all in the config.

3. Security (virus isues, server attacks etc...)
--Here is where GW shines. There arent very many viruses specifically written to attack or propogate through GW systems. Exchange is rampant with them. You can add them to personal address books, but this is heavy maintenance. I recommend always using a SMTP virus scan service.

4. Ease of administration for IT staff
--Exchange password integrate (or are basically the same) as your AD password, so from a PW administration perspective, Exchange works better. GW has no facilities to force periodic changes, which is unacceptable today. For creation of user accounts, grouping and lists, they are about equal in my eyes.
One issue I have with the Outlook client, when connecting to Exchange, is that it is very dependent on Netbios and DNS naming. This works well in any properly designed system, but can be a pain. Groupwise has command line switches so you can change IP addresses of the post office very simply.
However, I find some of the SMTP and other features of exchange to work better than GW. For instance (unless they have changed it in GW6.5) you cannot add an external user from another domain, to your SYSTEM address book.

5. Ease of use for users
--Outlook is a nice client, mainly because it uses Word for the email editor. Which means you have lots of options for macros and such. I like the Outlook interface a little better than GW. However, Contact list sharing in Outlook is not as robust as GW. But the GW address books needs serious revision (and I think it has been in GW 6.5). Proxy to other users folders in Exchange/Outlook is more robust than GW.
Remote access in Exchange is a headache. It works, but not as clean as GW.
To further comment, Groupwise requires patching to replace the windows messaging system. This can sometimes cause problems.
The GW Webaccess gateway burns exchange also.


6. Cost of server software and licences
--My experience has been that GW is cheaper overall. The GW client comes with the system. However, each Exchange CAL you purchase includes an Outlook 2000 license. Most of my clients want the newer features in 2002, so that is where we see the cost.If you are like me, and buy systems from Dell or HP, I always by them with Office SBS, so it is pretty much transparent to me. But there is a cost involved.

7. Burden on hardware (not a very strong issue since any server now comes with a beefy processor(s) but good to mention anyway)
--Exchange is heavier on hardware, but can be tweaked to run optimally. However, I have several systems that run up to 200 users on a single exchange server. It all depends on what features and how heavily your clients use the system.
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Groupwise also includes document management which is a very nice piece that we use heavily. You can introduce and save documents to the GroupWise system so they are indexed and linked through the client. It is an additional level of support though.

How small is your system?

These are just my experience points and opinions with both products. Other people may reply with exactly the opposite.

I love and hate things about both of them. I like the Outlook client a lot to be honest, but I saw the GW 6.5 client in beta and they have made some improvements. It is shipping now. Novell's site and Microsoft's site have great competitive information.

 

[gioffre]

Ahhh, the age old question which can cause quite a riot at any gathering of IS professionals. Of course you will get completely opposite points of view depending on the bias of the person involved. The key is to cut through all the BS and look at the real issues and answers. I don't claim to know Outlook/Exchange very well but I have used the system and (unfortunately) assisted clients in switching from GroupWise to Exchange (strictly political decision).

I'd say that mrjhat10 had some very good comments. Here's my take:

1) Drop in without much reconfiguration:
Moving from a hosted solution to an in-house solution will obviously require work no matter which systme you choose. However, GroupWise is definitely easier to setup and configure that Exchange. It requires less work due to its flexibility on the directory side. For instance, you can have a GroupWise user without a corresponding NDS account but every Exchange user MUST have a corresponding MAD account. GroupWise agents will run on NetWare, NT/2000, and soon to be announced Linux, while Exchange runs only on NT/2000.

2) Reliability
Taking all factors in to account (server platform, agent reliability, virus vulnerability, etc...) GroupWise is the more reliable system. If you take out hardware failures by using a cluster, GroupWise easily achieves 99.999% reliability.

3) Security
Hands down goes to GroupWise...no contest here. Nimda, Code Red, Melissa, and hosts of others have shut down major corporations for days at a time. GroupWise just keeps on running through all of these.
In terms of message system security GroupWise has always been very strong. Encrypted message stores and client security features make it very difficult for anyone to break in to your system. Unlike Exchange, even the system administrator has no rights or capability to read user's E-Mail.

4) Ease of Administration
If you know ConsoleOne, learning the basic GroupWise administration tasks is a snap. Of course you should take an administration course no matter which system you choose.
Contrary to the other comments, GroupWise can use your NDS password by setting up the LDAP authentication feature. This makes it flexible in that you can use any LDAP directory for GroupWise authentication.

5) Ease of use for users.
Generally either system is easy to use for the neophyte. However, hardly anyone is a neophyte these days as everyone has seen or used Oulook at some time. Due to the pervasiveness of Outlook, users are generally already familiar with that interface and therefore prefer to use it over GroupWise. With the modifications in the GroupWise 6.5 client, it looks more like Outlook.

6) Cost of server software and licenses.
The initial costs are comparable but this is misleading due to the "add-on" mentality from Microsoft. With GroupWise everything is in the box including gateways and alternat access methods (WebAccess, POP, IMAP, wireless).

7) Burden on hardware
With today's server hardware it should not be a concern. However GroupWise can support more users with less hardware.

One big question you left out is the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Management should always be looking at cost but they commonly overlook the long-term recurring costs. The Gartner Group did a study a few years ago and concluded that GroupWise was the cheapest system to operate over the long run. They compared GroupWise, Exchange, Notes, and Netscape's E-Mail solution. GroupWise won by a land-slide.

Gioffre Consulting

http://www.gioffre.com