Feb 9, 2009 : AtMail Open Update Adds AJAX and Video

📅 February 9, 2009 - Linux-based email management appliances and software provider AtMail (atmail.com) has launched AtMail Open 1.03, the latest version of its open-source webmail platform.

AtMail Open's latest update follows the company's December announcement that AtMail Open would be available through Parallels' (parallels.com) APS application catalog in Parallels' Plesk control panel software. According to AtMail's announcement last week, AtMail Open now supports a lightweight webmail client for managing email using any common web browser, with new AJAX interface capabilities for an extremely quick, stable and highly intuitive email experience.

Also, AtMail Open now supports video mail capabilities not found in other open-source offerings, allowing users to record streaming videos and send email messages with embedded video clips, using streaming technology that does not "bloat" the email with bulky attachments, providing a very agile recording, playback and viewing experience.

Being open-source based, AtMail Open also offers companies the option of accessing the full PHP source code, letting them fine-tune the code to meet specific customization requirements of organizations. Since its launch in early 2008, AtMail Open has become one of the foremost webmail systems because it combines open-source flexibility with functions traditionally available through commercial offerings.

"The latest version of AtMail Open includes new features made possible by the contributions from the highly knowledgeable open-source community," AtMail vice president Corey Bissaillon said in a statement. "The interest in AtMail Open continues to increase as individuals and organizations seek new web mail tools that are simple, intuitive and easily scalable."

AtMail Open is also now available as a ".deb" package for the free Debian operating system, Debian GNU/Linux, supported by volunteers.

According to the company, AtMail Open combines the advantages of open-source tools with the reliability of a proven, commercial-grade email management solution, giving small and medium-sized businesses a new option for email hosting. "It also represents an excellent choice for organizations looking for a gradual migration path to a more lightweight, simpler alternative to Microsoft Exchange and Zimbra," AtMail said.

AtMail also creates a number of other products including email server appliances, groupware collaboration and web-based administration systems that can be integrated with virus and anti-spam solutions using MySQL as the database back-end.

Less than a month ago, AtMail released version 5.6 of its flagship AtMail email management application, which now includes iPhone push mail support, DKIM filtering and improved WebAdmin functionality. It also provides the gateway for any IMAP4 server to deliver webmail to virtually any hand-held device.