Offices have started relying on secured mail clients. Zimbra provides this at minimal cost. Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS) is economic, safe and efficient for any kind of office. Couple it with Microsoft Outlook and you have a formidable mail client combination. Outlook can seamlessly integrate ZCS and provide you with a richer mailing and personal information manager (PIM) experience. Let us see in detail how integrating Zimbra mail with Outlook benefits users.
Seamless Integration
Zimbra Collaboration Suite enabled with Zimbra Connector for Outlook (ZCO) allows for a seamless integration in outlook. ZCO is provided as an MSI file which helps in effective integration of Microsoft Windows. This means that it can self-install ZCS on the server, for the client with Windows compatibilities and for the end user it means an Outlook profile creation with PST file and mail integration.
As far as setting up of mail is concerned, the user needs to enter the user name and password only once when they open Outlook for the first time. Connector is capable of configuring mail settings such as port numbers and mail protocols. Connector for Outlook automatically integrates the contacts, mails and folders of the users. Mail synchronizes in the background, while the user can continue using Outlook.
Offline Access
Zimbra Collaboration Suite though great and multifunctional requires internet access, whereas, Outlook with its local backup allows users to access mails and other information without internet connection. Outlook synchronizes mail as and when internet is available. Outlook does not require synchronization commands every time user is online and it uses the synchronization settings from the first time and uses the same setting every time. Another feature of outlook is that it allows multiple functions even when the user is offline such as sending mail, setting of reminders and follow-ups.
Security
ZCS and ZCO use the standard protocol of POP and SMTP with SSL/TLS encryption. This ensures safety of the communication between the system and the server. For communicating with Outlook, ZCO uses MAPI, a protocol designed by Microsoft for Outlook to communicate with exchange servers. These protocols safeguard mail communication from external threats such as hacking.
Conclusion
Zimbra Collaboration Suite is a complete solution when it comes to corporate webmail. Outlook is the complete solution as a mail and PIM. These two if working together can create wonders for the users. From IT security point-of-view, it cannot get any safer when it comes to mail security without hampering productivity.
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