MailShadowG Makes Gmail Into an Exchange Server

fowljr · 22-07-2008, 09:27 PM

"MailShadowG, the newest offering from Cemaphore Systems, will revolutionize the way you think about email continuity and content management. Using a SaaS-based (Software as a Service) model, MailShadowG allows you to synchronize your Outlook client with web-based email service providers like Google’s Gmail. This effectively turns Outlook into a universal front end client for different email systems, reducing infrastructure costs dramatically and making email backup portable and affordable. MailShadowG severs your dependency on the costliest elements of a traditional Exchange backup system."

I've always admired Gmail's uptime, stability, and ever-expanding storage - but it's never really fit into my Outlook-centric style of work. MailShadowG, which is currently in beta and not quite ready for public consumption, looks like it might bridge that gap in a really effective way.

fowljr · 22-07-2008, 09:28 PM

I thought this may be of interest for our very own dmr54, who if I remember correctly has moved over to GMAIL.

windows · 23-07-2008, 06:58 AM

Whats the difference though Jim compared to just setting up Outlook to work with Gmail?

fowljr · 23-07-2008, 07:56 AM

To be honest, I'm not sure, I clipped the news post from one of m RSS feeds, and as dmr54 is using GMAIL now I thought it may be of interest... I'm assuming that it adds value by enabling a push type delivery mechanism using GMAIL as a back end?

waveydavey · 23-07-2008, 01:23 PM

I would think it would have to sit between you and Gmail, poll the Gmail really often for changes and then squirt the new stuff down to your moby when it arrives. It's the only way it'd be able to be comparible to exchange push.

marttin · 23-07-2008, 03:16 PM

Can use FlexMail 4 with IDLE option for GMAIL (IMAP configuration). It "pushes" your mails to your device too. I tested it for few days, and it works quite well.

fowljr · 23-07-2008, 08:22 PM

Hi marttin, thanks for the feedback, I always wondered what IMAP Idle was for. Read a little on it but it's good to hear it works in operation.

windows · 23-07-2008, 10:48 PM

Exactly and if you have Gmail set up with Outlook using IMAP I still see no benefit in the system.

fowljr · 23-07-2008, 11:03 PM

You do have to pay for an app like Flexmail 4 though to get IMAP Idle as I don't think it is supported in Outlook Mobile. That being said, an excellent opportunity to donate to 4WM, support your favourite site and then take advantage of the 40% discount!!!

jliccione · 23-07-2008, 11:12 PM

MailShadow for Google Apps provides real-time bidirectional sync between one's Outlook/Exchange email, contacts, and calendar items, and Gmail email, Google Contacts, and Google Calendar items.

Unlike using native Outlook IMAP to connect to your Gmail account, which only gets one's Gmail (email data only) into Outlook, and is not fully bidirectional in nature with all your Outlook content sync; (for example, it does not sync an internal Exchange-to-Exchange delivered email over to Google), MailShadow for Google Apps syncs all Outlook/Exchange email, contacts, and calendar items in real-time, and in both directions. Further, after syncing the data, changes to existing email (e.g., read/unread flags), contacts, and calendar items on EITHER side are synced back to the other side in real time.

For Outlook users who are within an organization running Microsoft Exchange, it allows one to operate in both worlds concurrently, and offers a unified Outlook experience with both back-ends. Thus, it is an email, contact/calendar continuity solution for existing Outlook/Exchange users, by leveraging Google Apps (or just free Gmail) as the back-end infrastructure for the "alternate" mail service "site". Recovery time in the event of an Exchange outage is essentially zero, since one can continue to access all your email, contacts, and calendar data and continue sending/receiving email via the Google path using Outlook.

Further, it can be used as a more user-friendly migration solution from Exchange to Google Apps/Gmail, or, in the other direction, from Google to a hosted Exchange On-line account. Rather than forcing a knife-edge cutover between email universes, MailShadow for Google Apps allows one to run Gmail and Exchange concurrently, affording the user the time to get comfortable with the differences before switching, thereby easing the cross-universe transition.
There's a video demo located here if you wish to see it in action: An Overview of MailShadowG | cemaphore.com

John Liccione
Chief Technology Officer
Cemaphore Systems, Inc.