Ice Age

Try and Buy

The manufacturer offers trial versions and installations on request. If you do not want to install a complete server, you can also test IceWarp in the cloud. The hosted model means that administrators do not have to worry about the server but can still manage the server via the web interface. An IceWarp server licensed for 15 users without built-in anti-spam and anti-virus protection will cost only about EUR 500.

Companies that opt for the cloud version can expect to pay a total of EUR 400 per month for a 100-user license. IceWarp support offers a guaranteed response time of 48 hours. However, faster response times are available for a surcharge. The manufacturer also provides a private forum. If you are looking for information about IceWarp server online, you will not find much.

Conclusions

The IceWarp mail server is a serious competitor for Exchange and other email systems. On the plus side are data storage on a genuine database server, space-saving handling of attachments, and support for popular formats for access to email and the like. The numerous protocols and functions and the modular design are also a plus. The integrated IM server and other functions, such as anti-spam and anti-virus protection, are sometimes better than those offered in Exchange, but they're not available for free. IceWarp comes with its own migration tools.

The server is an alternative for smaller environments. In the enterprise environment, integrating additional tools with Outlook or the use of multiple servers can cause some problems (e.g., if the SMTP service is overloaded). Because IceWarp is not particularly widespread, help with problems is difficult to find on the Internet, and administrators need to rely on proprietary support in case of problems. With a response time of 48 hours, the risk is that users will not be able to work with the mail system for two days, so before deployment, a company should first test exactly those functions they really need and then use only those functions.

If you are looking to purchase a new email server, IceWarp mail server is worthy of consideration; however, to my mind, it is hardly advisable to migrate an existing Exchange or Lotus infrastructure if the current environment works well. Some companies do not use IceWarp mail server as their main email server, but as a gateway between Exchange and the Internet. They thus take advantage of the security features and continue to use their existing email system.