Open-Xchange

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
OX App Suite
Basic data

developer Open-Xchange AG
Publishing year 2005
Current  version 7.10.3
( December 4, 2019 )
operating system CentOS , Debian , Red Hat Enterprise Linux , SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
category Web desktop
License Backend GPL Version 2 , Frontend Creative Commons
German speaking Yes
Open-Xchange.com

Open-Xchange is software from Open-Xchange AG , a German company that develops at its locations in Olpe , Hamburg and Nuremberg and has offices in Paris , Madrid , Turin , Helsinki , The Hague and Palo Alto , USA.

history

The company founded by Rafael Laguna and Frank Hoberg began in 2005 in Olpe with the development of Linux -based e-mail and groupware solutions for companies, authorities and educational institutions, which were positioned as alternatives to Microsoft Exchange ; namely Open-Xchange Server , before that SUSE Linux Openexchange Server (SLOX, an OEM version for SuSE Linux AG, 2002–2005).

In 2006, 1 & 1 commissioned Open-Xchange-AG to develop a highly scalable e-mail and collaboration solution for so-called Software as a Service (SaaS) in hosted environments. The result, the Open-Xchange Hosting Edition , has been used by around 80 service providers around the world since 2007 and is marketed with product names from service providers such as ionos OX App Suite powered by 1 & 1 , STRATO Mail and NetCologne ComCenter . As Open-Xchange Server Edition , the same software is operated by companies on their own hardware.

In April 2013 Open-Xchange presented the OX App Suite, a comprehensive software solution for a browser-based desktop. Service providers and companies can upgrade from Open-Xchange Hosting Edition and Open-Xchange Server Edition with a simple update . In Germany, OX App Suite u. a. Available as a service from the Berlin provider Mailbox.org .

In March 2015, Open-Xchange announced the merger with Dovecot and PowerDNS . This means that even large email providers can be offered a complete application stack from a single source.

In 2018 Open-Xchange AG had 220 employees.

overview

OX App Suite is collaboration software with integrated apps for processing emails, contacts and appointments, which can be supplemented with information and addresses from social networks such as Facebook , LinkedIn , XING and Twitter . Images, audio, video and office files can also be used and managed with the OX App Suite.

Open-Xchange has developed a web-based user interface with HTML5 and JavaScript for the OX App Suite . Users can use the OX App Suite immediately and with any device that has a browser, without having to buy licenses or install software. If a device is lost or defective, all files are backed up centrally. Thanks to “Responsive Design”, OX App Suite automatically adapts to the different display sizes of PC, laptop, tablet and smartphone, which guarantees the best possible usability on every device. And through consistent use of the “local storage” of current browsers, OX App Suite is not inferior to the performance of traditional client-server software.

In March 2012, Open-Xchange was able to attract numerous developers from the former OpenOffice team in Hamburg to develop their own cloud-based office software called OX Documents . In contrast to Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365, OX Documents does not force the user to use their own file format. With OX Documents, Microsoft Office and OpenDocument files can be read and edited directly in the browser without having to convert them. Since OX Documents only saves the changes and not the entire document, the formatting and layout of the original document are completely retained. This innovation is the prerequisite for working with users who want to continue using their respective desktop office software.

In February 2014, OX App Suite was expanded to include OX Drive , an app for managing and sharing documents, images, photos and films. OX Drive also takes over the synchronization of folders and files on devices with Windows 7/8, Mac OS X, Android and iOS.

In September 2014, the company released OX Guard, an encryption for OX App Suite that does not require installation, is easy to use and supports the encrypted exchange of emails and files even with users who do not have an OX App Suite account. From summer 2015, OX Guard will also support PGP .

For December 2014, the software manufacturer OX Messenger has announced that it will expand the OX App Suite web desktop to include chat, VoIP and video telephony. OX Messenger is based on the open standard WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication), which enables the peer-to-peer transmission of text, voice and video content between web browsers in real time. OX Messenger is completely integrated in the OX App Suite and can be used with the browser on PCs and laptops without additional plugins. Additional apps will be available for tablets and smartphones.

technology

OX App Suite consists of a Java -based backend, a frontend based on HTML5 and JavaScript and numerous external components.

The backend is modularly expandable and is based on OSGi . Each module, consisting of several bundles, offers different APIs , from interfaces on Java level to a RESTful HTTP API as well as special interfaces for certain applications, e.g. CalDAV for calendar functions.

The middleware is based on the open source components OpenJDK , the MySQL database and the Linux operating system. The backend works as a single instance or as a cluster. In contrast to some competitors, the backend does not contain its own mail server, but rather embeds existing systems, which makes migrations easier and is seen as a competitive advantage. Dovecot is used by default .

The frontend is a website based on HTML5 and uses JavaScript for asynchronous requests via AJAX . It uses JQuery , underscore.js, and a require.js based system to be extensible.

Alternatively, users can also use other clients such as Mozilla Thunderbird or Microsoft Outlook to use some of the functionality of OX App Suite; also with mobile devices.

Availability

To get to know the user interface and the range of functions of the OX App Suite, Open-Xchange offers a personal online demo, which is valid for one hour. In addition, an OX Community Edition with limited functionality is available as a download for testing or use without maintenance and support. If you don't have your own Linux system, you can download Univention Corporate Server including the OX App Suite as an ISO or VM image. The OX App Suite is then available for installation directly in the Univention App Center. For components with 3rd party licenses such as the Connector for Microsoft Outlook and the Connector for Business Mobility (ActiveSync) the purchase of a license key is required.

License rights

OX Community Edition backend is under the GNU General Public License in version 2 ( GPLv2 ). The Open-Xchange front end is under the Creative Commons license CC-BY-NC-SA ( Attribution , Non Commercial , Share Alike ). This licensing allows free use in a commercial environment and only restricts the offering of hosted offers (through the non-commercial module in the Creative Commons license on the front end). Because of this restriction, the OX Community Edition is not considered 'free' in the sense of the Free Software Foundation .

Function overview

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ software.open-xchange.com .
  2. ↑ a b AppSuite: OX System Requirements. In: Oxpedia. OX Software GmbH, accessed on July 8, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Home | Open-Xchange. Retrieved January 17, 2020 (English).
  4. ↑ Jonas Jansen: With open software against the global surveillance state . Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of March 19, 2018, p. 22
  5. ↑ 1 & 1 MailXchange
  6. ↑ Professional mail hosting with email servers from STRATO. Retrieved January 17, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Home - mailbox.org. Retrieved January 17, 2020 .
  8. ↑ heise online: E-Mail / Groupware-Merger: Open-Xchange with Dovecot. Retrieved January 17, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Jonas Jansen: With open software against the global surveillance state . Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of March 19, 2018, p. 22
  10. ↑ Flexible forms of work: "Moving was never up for discussion" , DIE ZEIT, February 3, 2014
  11. ↑ heise online: Open-Xchange expands AppSuite to include cloud storage. Retrieved January 17, 2020 .
  12. ↑ heise online: Open-Xchange introduces OX module for secure e-mail. Retrieved January 17, 2020 .
  13. ^ Changing of the Guard | Open-Xchange. Retrieved January 17, 2020 (English).
  14. ↑ heise online: Open-Xchange: Web-Desktop OX App Suite with chat, VoIP and video telephony. Retrieved January 17, 2020 .
  15. ↑ Welcome to your demo account. Retrieved January 17, 2020 .
  16. ↑ demo | Open-Xchange. Retrieved March 11, 2020 .
  17. ↑ AppSuite: Main Page Quickinstall - Open-Xchange. Retrieved January 17, 2020 .
  18. ↑ UCS is available as a download (ISO image or VM image). In: Univention. Accessed January 17, 2020 (German).