Re: Email on the Iseries or not

On 11/11/05, Mike.Crump@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <Mike.Crump@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Just a couple of thoughts - as usual some of the answers depend on what
> someone what's to accomplish, what is their architectural preference, and
> what their bias is (bias is not always a bad word).

Agreed.  There is no right answer here.  Is cost a key factor? 
Reliability?  Ability for existing staff to deal with?  Ability for
Pat to deal with?  Disaster Recovery?  How important is it to stay on
the iSeries? Can they deal with complex iSeries stuff? Are they OK
with Microsoft?  Are they OK with open source?

Pat and his client have to determine their needs and priorities.  Once
they do, a good solution will rise to the surface.

> We are heavy users of Domino - both for applications, calendaring, and
> email.  Per our parent company we will be moved to Exchange 1Q 2006.

You will be pleased.  I was in the same boat at my last company 6
years ago, and it turned out to be a great move, primarily because of
the ability to join the whole corporation on lists, public folders,
etc.  And, Outlook was a great mail client which the users community
took to easily.

Two recommendations
 --> make sure that your network admin is trained on Exchange 2003. 
You might want to require passing the relevant Microsoft exam.  This
will make the transition easier.
 --> put plenty of thought into dealing with the Domino apps.  Don't
let them get brushed aside, there is more to it than turning on LDAP
or AD authentication.

> I think you have to be careful in using absolute terms and always remember
> that some people have certain other preferences.  In a lot of cases they
> can be considered valid.

Well said.  At this point, those who reflexively bash Microsoft for
poor quality are simply not paying attention.  These decisions are
never as easy as the zealots maintain, and there are a number of
compelling reasons for every option.  Intelligent decision makers
determine which of the compelling reasons are most relevant to their
organization, and make the selection based on those.

Good luck with Exchange!

--
Tom Jedrzejewicz
tomjedrz@xxxxxxxxx