We are proud to announce the release of grommunio 2023.11.1, a pivotal update solidifying our position as the leading open-source groupware platform for enterprises. This release is packed with substantial enhancements, reflecting our commitment to delivering a comprehensive, secure, and efficient communication solution for businesses globally.
Key Developments and Features
- Revolutionary EWS functionality in Open Source
Surpassing Microsoft Exchange by 2.7 times in performance, we have fully integrated support for Microsoft Outlook for Mac, Apple Mail, and Microsoft Outlook for Mobile. This groundbreaking achievement in EWS functionality enhances compatibility and user experience across various devices and platforms. Unlike other competitors, grommunio remains true to the open-source promise and does not require any additional license for EWS users. We are excited to announce the inclusion of Exchange Web Services (EWS) functionality in grommunio 2023.11.1 as a public beta. We believe in transparency and open communication with our customers and users, and as such, we want to provide some important context and information in our disclaimer below. - Robust Single Sign-On (SSO) Solution
The addition of SPNEGO/Kerberos Authentication reinforces our platform’s enterprise capabilities, providing seamless and secure SSO experience with MS Active Directory and Samba4 environments, including Univention, NethServer and others. Expanding further our authentication capabilities grommunio also supports token-based authentication for integrative solutions with direct Token- and protocol-based access. - grommunio Web: A step ahead in accessibility and design
Our redesigned grommunio-web mail user agent interface now adheres to WCAG 2.1 guidelines, ensuring accessibility and ease of use. This and also the 25% faster end-to-end processing improvement marks a significant leap in web client performance. - Flexibility with multiple-identity logon
Catering to complex enterprise needs, we now support multiple-identity logon using alternative logon names, offering greater flexibility in identity management. - Seamless online update and upgrade
Streamlining system maintenance, our online update and upgrade capabilities via grommunio Admin Web make staying current effortless and efficient. - Enhanced mail delivery and addressing capabilities
With the addition of recipient (“plus-addressing”) as well as more functionality with mailbox DB operations, email handling becomes more streamlined and effective, significantly optimizing mail delivery processes. - Continuous improvement through bug fixes
We maintain a strong focus on identifying and resolving issues, steadily enhancing the platform’s reliability and performance. This version includes vital improvements such as support for non-receiving shared mailboxes, enhanced emsmdb and zcore configurations, and fixes in imap, exmdb, and alias_resolve modules. - Modern Authentication in grommunio Web
Strengthening our security framework, grommunio Web now ships with OpenID Connect Authentication, offering a more secure and user-friendly authentication process. With grommunio Auth, grommunio is also able to provide 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) for enhanced security in security-demanding environments. - Refined Folder and Message Delivery Mechanisms
This update enhances the folder and message delivery functionality. For example, improvements to the ‘create_folder’ and ‘movecopy_folder’ RPCs provide a more robust and reliable user experience. - Comprehensive IMAP and productivity enhancements
The grommunio update brings substantial enhancements to the IMAP protocol. Notable additions include significant IMAP improvements like allowing large literals with APPEND and broadening IMAP capabilities with RFC 7888 support. The update introduces several enhancements aimed at optimizing mail delivery and user experience. These include support for vCard 4.0 specifications in ‘oxvcard’, ceasing unnecessary RTF conversion of calendar items in ‘oxcmail’. - Proactive Microsoft Graph API Development
Our ongoing development of Microsoft Graph API with grommunio Next (see our demo and use your M365 account) as client and the upcoming integration ensures that grommunio remains at the forefront of technology, ready for future advancements and the uprising M365-agnostic compatibility.
grommunio 2023.11.1 represents more than just an update; it’s a bold step forward in open-source groupware technology, offering an enterprise-capable solution that meets the evolving needs of modern organizations and businesses. Experience the power, flexibility, and security of this release, and join us in shaping the future of enterprise communication and collaboration.
- Intensive Development and Testing: The EWS functionality has undergone extensive development to achieve a modern and solid software architecture. This rigorous process ensures a high standard of quality, security, and functionality. However, as with any complex software endeavor, there may be unforeseen nuances in diverse real-world environments.
- Current Limitations: We acknowledge that two features – the FindItem operation and the Impersonation feature – are not yet included in this beta release. These features are currently undergoing thorough quality assurance testing. We anticipate their inclusion still within the 2023 release timeline, further enhancing the EWS functionality.
- Commitment to quality and security: Our team, in collaboration with our technology partners, has repeatedly validated the EWS functionality to ensure its security, data protection, and stability. We adhere to the highest standards to safeguard your experience.
- Feedback and continuous improvement: While we have invested considerable effort in testing, we acknowledge that the diverse and dynamic nature of IT environments can present unique scenarios. Therefore, we welcome and appreciate any feedback or reports of issues from our users. Your insights are invaluable in helping us refine and improve the EWS functionality.
- Support for subscription holders: With the release of this EWS functionality, it becomes a fully supported protocol within grommunio. Subscription holders are entitled to our full support for any queries or assistance related to EWS. For customers and hosters: Please approach your support representative if you need any planing for EWS rollout. As with every new big feature, it is recommended to plan the availability with care and our staff is committed to support you well.
We are proud of the strides we have made with the EWS functionality in grommunio 2023.11.1 and are eager to see how it enhances your enterprise communication and collaboration. We thank you for your understanding, support, and collaboration as we continue to innovate and improve our offerings.
Setting EWS as final is currently planned for the 24th of December 2023.
Despite Microsoft’s plans to retire Exchange Web Services (EWS) in Exchange Online and Microsoft 365 by October 1, 2026, grommunio’s implementation of EWS is a strategic decision reflecting the current landscape and the needs of our users. Notably, EWS continues to be more widely used than Microsoft’s Graph API, and it remains a crucial component in numerous existing integrations and software solutions. A significant factor in our decision is that not all functionality available in EWS has counterparts in Microsoft Graph API yet. For instance, Microsoft Graph API currently lacks features such as access to folder-related information and user configuration.
By implementing EWS, grommunio ensures that users retain access to these critical functionalities, providing a seamless and comprehensive experience. Our proactive development of Microsoft Graph API support, which will be released in 2024 and is already demonstrated through grommunio Next (see grommunio Next on GitHub), illustrates our commitment to future-proofing our platform.
This dual support for both EWS and Microsoft Graph API ensures that grommunio users benefit from a versatile and robust solution, capable of meeting their diverse needs both now and in the future as the technological landscape evolves.
Further details can be found in the Release Notes.
Updated documentation is showing up in the upcoming days with many updates.
As always: We would like to thank our fabulous customers, dedicated partners and extra ordinary community for all their input and feedback.