Client/Server Email Client Evaluation - 2004

The 2004 Client/Server email client team will evaluate recently-released client/server email applications (including Apple Mail 1.3.x, Eudora 6.x, Mozilla 1.6, Netscape 7.1, and Outlook Professional 2003). This year, the team will evaluate applications' spam filtering features as well as the usual considerations, and will build on work done in previous years' evaluations. Once again the team will also test current versions of Microsoft and Apple clients for compatibility with various University's mail servers. Criteria and scripts developed by past email client evaluation efforts will be used as a starting point for this effort to reduce the time needed in preparation for actual testing. In addition, the team will evaluate options for complying with the critical host policy using the email clients Penn currently supports, and will make recommendations regarding future support of those clients on campus. Finally, the team will document recommended configurations for each of the proposed solutions and will write instructions to assist LSPs with migration from existing clients to new solutions as appropriate based on the recommendations of the team.

As always, the team will be expected to refine the scope, define requirements and selection criteria, develop test scripts, do testing, and then make recommendations to IT Roundtable. The team will also maintain a web site to enable others to stay informed regarding their progress, and will create draft documentation for LSPs and end users as appropriate.

Evaluation

• Test Platforms
• Evaluation Criteria
• Test Script
• Product Evaluation List
• Mid-term report to SUG/IT Roundtable (ppt - use Notes view for full details)

Results

• Test Results
• Recommended and Supported Products
• Products vs. our criteria (how each stacked up)

Documentation

• Product Summaries (work in progress)
• IMAP vs. POP (from team)
• Recommended configuration and best practices for Outlook 2003 (Windows)
• Recommended configuration and best practices for Mozilla 1.7 (Windows)
• Recommended configuration and best practices for Mozilla 1.7 (Mac OS)
• Recommended configuration and best practices for Eudora 6.1.2 (Windows)
• Recommended configuration and best practices for Eudora 6.1.2 (Mac OS)
• Recommended configuration and best practices for Apple Mail (Mac OS)

Project Info

• Minutes
  • March 9, 2004
  • March 16, 2004
  • March 23, 2004
  • March 30, 2004
  • April 6, 2004
  • April 13, 2004
  • April 20, 2004
  • April 27, 2004
• Team members
• Mailing list (csemail2004 at isc.upenn.edu)
• Timeline

Background Info

• Previous Email Evaluation Effort - 2003 Email Client Evaluation Team
• Previous Email Evaluation Effort - 2002 Email Client Evaluation Team
• IMAP vs. POP (from imap.org)
• www.imap.org
• 1999 EMTF Messenger Test Script
• 1998 EMTF Test Script
• Operating System Guidelines
• Desktop Hardware Guidelines
• Charge to Supported Products Evaluation Teams
• Standards and Supported Products Process