Reviewed by Dennis Advani

Scalix 10 is a Linux-based email, calendaring and messaging server solution. It is intended for existing Microsoft Exchange users, and those who need Exchange-style features.

Scalix has clearly worked to make its software a nice fit for an established Exchange mail environment. In addition to working as a stand-alone mail server, Scalix 10 can also co-exist with Microsoft Exchange, and if you plan to migrate completely from Exchange, Scalix supply tools and utilities to perform that transition.

It comes in three versions: Community, Small Business and Enterprise edition. The Community Edition is a free, partially open-source, version of Scalix Server. It allows 25 (max) premium users but supports an unlimited number of standard users.

Premium users gain Outlook as a client and have access to workgroup functionality including email, calendar and contact sharing. Standard users are restricted to mail via IMAP , POP or by Webmail.

In terms of features, the Small Business edition is quite similar to the Community edition, however, Active Directory is supported for centralised authentication and licensing is purchased in packs. 1 x 50 premium-user pack costs $1597 (including installation support and updates for one year). An additional 25 users (for a total of 75), costs an additional $2399. Compare this to Microsoft’s Small Business Server 2003, 75 users would cost in excess of $4000.

The Enterprise version of Scalix includes all the features of the others but boasts a lot more flexibility and connectivity. There is also the option to move Webmail onto separate servers, distributing the processing load, as well as high availability options for redundancy.

Enterprise comes on a per-user cost ($96.80, minimum of 25 users). Software updates & upgrades cost an additional $19.25 per user pa. Compared to Microsoft Exchange licences, it is very
cost effective.

We tried Scalix out on an installation of Red Hat Enterprise AS. A neat install wizard runs you through the process. It even includes an environment check to see if you have met all the prerequisites, and  if there is a problem, it won’t let you install. Its log clearly explains what needs to be done. Ours was up and running within 20 minutes. This is a very complex and feature-rich mail server, but it would have to be the easiest Linux installation I’ve ever done.

Overall Scalix 10 is a nicely refined and affordable solution. In its community form, it is free—perfect for the start up business. The Small Business and Enterprise editions are full of solid features that allow easy scaling and maintenance. The Small Business edition should have cheaper options, maybe five- or ten-user packs. Increasing your user base from 50 to 51 would cost $2399 and many businesses may not need the remaining 24.

The Webmail interface is very impressive. It offers email, contacts, calendars and notes from anywhere you have Internet access. A complaint we always hear from Exchange users is that its Webmail client only works properly in Internet Explorer. Scalix Webmail works well in IE, Firefox and Mac, Unix and Linux browsers.

Due to all of its enhancements, using it on a slow connection could be a problem although Scalix will address this in the next version offering a light edition. It is also improving the Outlook plug-in to accommodate slow dial-up connections by implementing a smart caching system which reduces the need for repeatedly downloading the same information.

Scalix is a very good product. It is easy to install, easy to maintain, it looks very professional and its functionality is excellent. Unless you have already committed thousands of dollars to another solution, we can not think of any reason not to consider this e-mail server solution.

“The vendor paid for the full cost of this independent test and the publishing was at the vendor’s discretion, however the findings are the Labs’ own. Enex Test Lab is an independent IT testing institution based in Victoria.”