grommunio Releases Version 2023.11.3: Unveiling Full EWS Support and Enhanced Features for a Seamless Communication Experience.
In a significant stride towards revolutionizing the email server landscape, grommunio proudly announces the launch of its latest version, 2023.11.3, marking a milestone in the domain of open-source communication platforms. This update heralds the full-scale integration of Exchange Web Services (EWS), now fully supported to run with Microsoft Outlook for Mac and Apple’s native organization apps, including Mail and Calendar. With this release, grommunio cements its position as the world’s first open-source EWS server, offering an unparalleled email and collaboration solution to businesses and individuals globally.
EWS: At the Heart of Collaboration
The highlight of version 2023.11.3 is the enhanced EWS compatibility, now exiting the beta stage and enabled by default. This advancement signifies a leap in interoperability with Microsoft Outlook for Mac and Apple’s ecosystem, facilitating a seamless and integrated experience for users across different device classes. The update ensures flawless synchronization and communication, fostering productivity and streamlined workflows.
Enhanced Security and Internationalization
Security and compliance receive a boost with updated S/MIME protocols for cross-device validation, ensuring secure and authenticated email exchanges. Additionally, the introduction of support for IDN (internationalized) domains in the Global Address Lists (GAL) broadens the accessibility of grommunio, making it a truly global platform that accommodates diverse linguistic and regional needs.
Improved Calendaring and Authentication
CalDAV’s newfound support for iCalendar’s free/busy information enhances scheduling and planning capabilities, while the integration of Passkey authentication with grommunio Auth introduces a cutting-edge, passwordless security feature, streamlining access without compromising on safety.
A Polished and User-Friendly Interface
grommunio Web has received a series of polishing fixes, building on the last major design upgrade to offer a more intuitive and aesthetically pleasing user interface. These improvements aim to enhance user engagement and satisfaction, making email management a more streamlined and visually appealing experience.
Comprehensive Documentation and New Technologies
Acknowledging the importance of support and guidance, grommunio has undertaken a major documentation overhaul, providing users with extensive updates and clear, concise information to maximize the platform’s benefits. The introduction of grommunio Next as a technology preview showcases our commitment to innovation, exploring new possibilities with the Graph API.
Feature-Rich and Future-Ready
The release is packed with new features and enhancements, including support for outgoing messages via postdrop, a new rule processor for Outlook-style public folders, and extensive updates for Debian/Ubuntu-based installations. Each update is designed to address specific user needs and industry standards, ensuring grommunio remains at the forefront of email server technology.
Highlights
- EWS is now fully supported to run with Microsoft Outlook for Mac as well as Apple native organization apps (Mail, Calendar, ...)
- S/MIME received updates for validation across various device classes
- IDN (internationalized) domains are now supported in GAL (Global Address Lists)
- CalDAV now supports iCalender free/busy information
- grommunio Web received polishing fixes since the last major design upgrade
- Support for Passkey authentication with grommunio Auth
- Documentation has received numerous updates, including a major documentation overhaul
New Features
- EWS has left the beta stage and is now enabled by default (See notes)
- The new rule processor (twostep_ruleproc) now supports Outlook-style public folders
- grommunio now provides 389DS schema via a selector in grommunio Admin
- Outgoing messages submission via postdrop is now supported
- grommunio Next is now available as technology preview in the repositories (requires Graph API)
Enhancements
- S/MIME related fixes to Web now enable multiple attachment download
- Unintended double-quotes in mails are now dropped around RFC 2047-style encodings
- Resolved a rare case where PR_TRANSPORT_MESSAGE_HEADERS had an extra byte
- Resolved a case where four extra bytes where added in front of the first transport header
- Semicolons in "Reply-To" headers are now handled correctly
- Proper handling for log messages enabling better fail2ban processing
- ICS requests can now be dumped for developer inspection
- Extensive dependency updates for Debian/Ubuntu based installations
- Various improvements to migration toolset
- Various mail processing enhancements (e.g. dot-stuffing)
Notes on EWS
As mentioned above, with EWS leaving the beta stage, the parameter ews_beta=1 in /etc/gromox/ews.cfg is now obsolete. EWS is now enabled per default and the parameter is not required anymore.
Also, thanks to the community for their valued feedback - Lots of feedback has been applied while some has not made it yet finally, especially the issue with FROM: Header with Umlauts is still in progress and will surface shortly as another update.