Future of IM (instant messaging) client in Zimbra
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:03 am
It is likely that many Zimbra administrators, buyers, and users would wish to know about the future of IM client support in Zimbra. Whilst there has been much discussion concerning the internal IM server removal, there have been few, and seemingly contradictory, noises concerning the future of IM client support.
1. What is the future of IM web client - removal/stuck in beta/enhanced and supported?
2. Will IM web client (if retained) ever be usable from Zimbra Desktop?
3. If the IM client is removed or unsupported, will there be any interop (chat logs, contact sync, UI integration) with external products to ensure Zimbra can be used as a full collaboration suite?
4. Is it feasible or likely that any replacement IM external server solutions be packaged or bundled within Zimbra? as per https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=47036
>Many">https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=47036
>Many thanks,
Störm
Background:
Instant messaging in Zimbra falls under two areas:
IM server
IM web client (not available on Zimbra Desktop, so far)
Internal IM server support being withdrawn
Zimbra is gradually pulling support for internal IM servers. In ZCS 7 it is disabled by default, but can be switched on (though it is an unsupported beta products), details here:
https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=45932
http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administra ... erver.html
">http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administra ... erver.html
>
Support for linking to alternative IM servers to be introducted
It is said that support for linking with external IM servers (such as Jabber/XMPP) will be provided in place of the internal server support. From ZCS 8, internal IM server will be removed and IM server functionality will be available instead via 'interop with other leading IM products'.
Some discussion of that here:
http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administra ... erver.html
">http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administra ... erver.html
>
Users have proposed that an external IM server should be packagable/bundled with ZCS for ease
Vote or comment here:
https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=47036
>
IM web client to be enhanced or removed?
It was being said that the IM web client, however, would be further improved.
Sam Khavari 2010-04-09:
"Based on feedback from existing customers and future customers, in ZCS 7.0 we
will decouple the IM server from the ZCS server. Our current plan is to NOT
ship an IM server but to integrate with existing XMPP based IM servers (eg,
ejabberd). See bug 19398.
We will focus on improving the integrated IM experience by enhancing the Ajax
based IM client that exists today, eg bug 31738 & bug 42786, with existing IM
servers."
However, recently 50 bugs relating to IM web client have been closed
e.g. https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=33490
There">https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=36288
There has been some discussion of IM web client and IM in Zimbra Desktop (e.g. http://www.zimbra.com/forums/general-qu ... sktop.html), but nothing on the forums or in Bugzilla specifying the future of IM web client, or IM client in zdesktop.
1. What is the future of IM web client - removal/stuck in beta/enhanced and supported?
2. Will IM web client (if retained) ever be usable from Zimbra Desktop?
3. If the IM client is removed or unsupported, will there be any interop (chat logs, contact sync, UI integration) with external products to ensure Zimbra can be used as a full collaboration suite?
4. Is it feasible or likely that any replacement IM external server solutions be packaged or bundled within Zimbra? as per https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=47036
>Many">https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=47036
>Many thanks,
Störm
Background:
Instant messaging in Zimbra falls under two areas:
IM server
IM web client (not available on Zimbra Desktop, so far)
Internal IM server support being withdrawn
Zimbra is gradually pulling support for internal IM servers. In ZCS 7 it is disabled by default, but can be switched on (though it is an unsupported beta products), details here:
https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=45932
http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administra ... erver.html
">http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administra ... erver.html
>
Support for linking to alternative IM servers to be introducted
It is said that support for linking with external IM servers (such as Jabber/XMPP) will be provided in place of the internal server support. From ZCS 8, internal IM server will be removed and IM server functionality will be available instead via 'interop with other leading IM products'.
Some discussion of that here:
http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administra ... erver.html
">http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administra ... erver.html
>
Users have proposed that an external IM server should be packagable/bundled with ZCS for ease
Vote or comment here:
https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=47036
>
IM web client to be enhanced or removed?
It was being said that the IM web client, however, would be further improved.
Sam Khavari 2010-04-09:
"Based on feedback from existing customers and future customers, in ZCS 7.0 we
will decouple the IM server from the ZCS server. Our current plan is to NOT
ship an IM server but to integrate with existing XMPP based IM servers (eg,
ejabberd). See bug 19398.
We will focus on improving the integrated IM experience by enhancing the Ajax
based IM client that exists today, eg bug 31738 & bug 42786, with existing IM
servers."
However, recently 50 bugs relating to IM web client have been closed
e.g. https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=33490
There">https://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=36288
There has been some discussion of IM web client and IM in Zimbra Desktop (e.g. http://www.zimbra.com/forums/general-qu ... sktop.html), but nothing on the forums or in Bugzilla specifying the future of IM web client, or IM client in zdesktop.