Kerio has also extended the Outlook Connect feature. Apple’s iCal client won’t play nicely with Microsoft Exchange, and while there are several workarounds available, this feature simplifies things and allows Mac users to use the collaborative features available to Windows users without having to resort to the web-based client or use Entourage. The new CalDAV feature allows Apple iCal users to share their calendar data with other users. Email archives are becoming increasingly important, and Kerio automatically archives all messages for later review. In both cases the administrator can configure and monitor all aspects of the server’s operation. The system can be administered through the local administration interface or remotely using the supplied software.

Other measures include both Microsoft’s Caller ID and Sender Policy Framework options.

SpamAssassin is available to filter out unwanted mail, and real-time blacklist and Bayesian analysis options are also available. We also included some spam and the EICAR test virus in various attachments. We tested the server using a program that sent several hundred messages to each user using plain text and HTML. It’s possible to combine both methods, which can be useful when some users don’t need Active Directory accounts. We created several test users using the server’s own internal database for security, although we could just as easily have imported users from Active Directory.

We installed the Windows version on a desktop PC equipped with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ and 2GB of RAM, running Vista Business. Its only fault is that 64-bit versions of Windows and Linux aren’t supported. From Windows 2000 Professional SP4 to 2003 Server to Vista Business, from Red Hat Linux to SUSE Linux to Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 – everything’s covered.

We’re impressed by Kerio’s ability to support a wide range of clients (more on that later), but it can also run under a wide variety of operating systems.

Kerio outlook connector mac