E-mail/Collaboration Software

Article from CRN Magazine by Stacy Cowley

Published on May 18, 2007

The gap between Microsoft and its rivals in the e-mail and collaboration software space is widening.

Microsoft bested its competitors on every single criterion and sailed past the runners-up with a 77.8 overall rating, more than 10 points higher than IBM's 67.6 score and Novell's 64.3 finish.

Solution providers say Microsoft's channel-friendly policies and powerhouse Exchange/Outlook combination give it the edge. Solid integration with the rest of Microsoft's ubiquitous Office stack, mature technology and strong opportunities for ancillary services make Microsoft's products the most attractive in this segment, according to resellers. And while Vista has earned mixed reviews, Exchange Server 2007 is looking like a hit, they said.

"More so than Office or Vista, this is the product that clients are curious about," said Todd Croteau, vice president of consulting services at All Covered, a services firm and Microsoft Gold Partner in Redwood City, Calif. "The feedback from front-line consultants is that they like it. I think Vista has been slower than we thought to be adopted, but I don't think the same will be true for Exchange. It's the No. 1 product we're training on internally."

While new entrants are emerging to challenge Microsoft's collaboration infrastructure dominance, especially from the open-source arena, the survey showed that its traditional rivals are stumbling. IBM's Workplace line, once positioned as the modern successor to its Lotus Notes/Domino platform, was officially killed off this year after much grumbling from users and partners fearing a forced migration. The misstep dinged IBM's reputation and let Microsoft take advantage of the confusion to build its own market share.

"Lotus Notes and Domino is basically an end-of-life product," said Ron Herardian, managing partner at Global System Services, Mountain View, Calif., a messaging and collaboration specialist that partners with IBM and Microsoft.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has earned high marks for its channel education and sales support programs. Partners say that once you have Microsoft's attention, it is responsive to requests. Wanting a head start on preparing for the Vista wave, All Covered asked Microsoft for a custom training opportunity, offering to fly 20 of its engineers to its headquarters.

"Once they saw our commitment, they matched it by making speakers and resources available," said Nick Pegley, vice president of marketing at All Covered. "It really helped. Microsoft is a company that really gets the channel."