AppSuite:EM Client for OX App Suite

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API status: In Development

eM Client for OX App Suite (soon to be released)

Open-Xchange’s eM Client for OX App Suite is a full-featured email client with a modern and easy-to-use interface for Windows users. In addition to user-friendly email functionality, this application offers several integrated features: a calendar, tasks, contacts, and even chat. Additionally, eM Client for OX App Suite can be used offline with full OX App Suite synchronization. This new product uses open and proven industry-standard protocols such as IMAP, SMTP, and CardDAV/CalDAV for safe and hassle-free connection to OX App Suite.

The application stores data locally on the client machine. This guarantees that end users can access their data even when offline. Any changes made in offline mode are automatically synchronized: when the user is online again, they are sent back to the OX App Suite server.

eM Client for OX App Suite supports the latest versions of Windows and is compatible with all available versions of eM Client.

Key features

eM Client for App Suite provides all the essentials for today’s email:

  • Secure communication (SSL and TLS)
  • Advanced email rules management
  • Spelling check across the entire application
  • Templates, signatures, tagging, and categorization

The following essential calendar features are provided, among others:

  • Various calendar views
  • Sharing of calendars and tasks
  • Full-text search covering all events and tasks
  • Meeting scheduling that uses “Free”/”Busy” indicators

The following key features are provided for handling contacts:

  • Custom contact views
  • A full range of data fields
  • Support for categorization and folders
  • Easy merging of contacts
  • Maintaining a communication history

Pricing and availability

Please contact Open-Xchange Sales for further information and pricing details.

System requirements

The requirements are listed at eM Client for OX App Suite and Platform Requirements (Link will be valid with official launch).

Download and installation of eM Client for OX App Suite

Installation packages for eM Client for OX App Suite are available for download at the following URL: http://software.open-xchange.com/products/emclient_appsuite/stable/ (Will be valid with official launch)

After download is complete, you can start the installation by double clicking on the package. The first screen presents information about the eM Client for OX App Suite product. Then, the wizard guides you in the steps for installation. Please be sure to read the license agreement with Open-Xchange carefully.

Server-side configuration

This section describes what needs to be configured on the OX App Suite server back end in order to support use of eM Client for OX App Suite.

Prerequisites

Use requires Open-Xchange Server v. 7.8.1 or above (“open xchange core”).

Configuration

As many other clients are, the original eM Client is able to connect to OX App Suite without any additional server-side configuration, if you allow access to IMAP, SMTP, CardDAV, and CalDAV. For that reason, eM Client for OX App Suite requires only a little configuration work at the back end. Besides using the standard protocols listed above, you need to use a “user capability” setting (described below) and must decide whether to offer the product via the On-boarding Wizard.

Enabling eM Client for OX App Suite for users

To eliminate the need for any handling of license keys on the user side, we have decided to use a “capability” setting and thereby check whether the user is entitled to access the client. To enable a user for eM Client for OX App Suite, you must have set either the capability 

com.openexchange.capability.emclient_basic

or 

com.openexchange.capability.emclient_premium

The “basic” capability needs to be set for users who are on a yearly pricing plan, and the “premium” capability should be set for users who are on one of the monthly plans.

More details about capabilities can be found on the “App Suite: Capabilities” page, at http://oxpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=AppSuite:Capabilities. Furthermore, these capabilities can be used in the Config Cascade. For information, please see http://oxpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=ConfigCascade.

Autodiscovery for partners and customers

End users don’t want to bother with server settings or port numbers. For that reason, the on-boarding experience has to be made as smooth and trouble-free as possible for them. To enable the best possible user experience with eM Client for OX App Suite, Open-Xchange requires some additional information. This information will allow us to provide a seamless setup of eM Client for App Suite for your users.

Please download the information form (will be available with official launch), fill out the parts marked in the XML snippet, and send the completed form to emclient@open-xchange.com.

Your information will then be included in the next update of eM Client for OX App Suite.

The On-boarding Wizard and updates

We recommend making eM Client for OX App Suite available to end users via our App On-boarding Wizard. For this, you must install and configure the wizard for eM Client for OX App Suite users. In addition to the client onboarding feature, you need the following packages:

  • open-xchange-drive-client-windows – the main server component to provide the app
  • open-xchange-drive-client-windows-generic – the package providing the final binary files to be installed on users‘ machines

To make the app download available via the On-boarding Wizard, you need to enable the corresponding scenario. Open the file /opt/open xchange/etc/client-onboarding-scenarios.yml for editing. In the drivewindowsclientinstall section, you have to set the value for the “enabled” property to “true”; then, save the file.

After installation, eM Client for OX App Suite will automatically check for the latest updates on the central server (or the corresponding branded update server).

A custom branded version

eM Client for OX App Suite can be purchased with custom branding. This will also include the software for a custom update server.

With a custom branded version, you can choose your own name for the product (please remember that we will not perform any trademark checks). In addition to the name, you can change the logo shown in all parts of the product, from the installation process to the desktop icon.

The branding/customization process

For customization, you need to provide specific information such as the following:

  • Confirmation that you are running OX App Suite 7.8.1, including the latest patch.
  • The full information from the autodiscovery XML sheet
  • Two test accounts in your OX App Suite service, with which we can verify that the OX App Suite system works as expected.
  • A “logo” and “name” for your service. This information will be used in the client itself.

Note that the “logo” needs to be delivered in certain formats and resolutions.

Please contact Open-Xchange Sales for further information and pricing details.

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