Scalix and SugarCRM Integrate Messaging and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for Linux and Open Source Customers

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Monday, December 18, 2006; 03:15 AM

Scalix Corporation and SugarCRM today announced that their mutual customers can now integrate their Linux-based messaging from Scalix with their customer relationship management (CRM) system from SugarCRM, using multiple versions of Microsoft Outlook, for a fully integrated, server-to-server CRM and messaging solution.

Scalix Corporation, the leading provider of Linux-based enterprise messaging software and SugarCRM, the world’s leading provider of commercial open source CRM, said the integration allows their mutual customers to move seamlessly – within a complete Linux environment – between their primary Outlook desktop email client, SugarCRM software and Scalix’s Linux-based Mail Server, assuring more efficiency and accuracy in managing sales leads by their customers.

The companies are collaborating to bring further integration between Sugar and Web-based messaging, giving enterprise sales teams the richest possible environment for managing their sales leads and customer accounts.

"As we rapidly grow our customer base, we see an increased demand for integrating best of breed open source solutions,” said Glenn Winokur, Scalix’s chief executive officer. “We are excited to team with SugarCRM, who is the clear commercial open source CRM leader, on a roadmap that uniquely delivers on a shared technology vision."

Scalix’s integration with SugarCRM is enabled by Scalix’s full, native support for Microsoft Outlook 2000, 2002 (XP), 2003 as well as support for Mozilla Thunderbird® clients.

“Our users require seamless integration between their CRM, email and calendaring solution,” said Jacob Taylor, SugarCRM’s CTO and co-founder. “Given the broad adoption of Outlook in the enterprise and the increasing deployment of Linux infrastructure, Scalix’s extensive Outlook support and comprehensive Linux environment directly addresses the needs of our customers. We look forward to working closely with Scalix to provide increased benefit to our shared customers.”

By running the Sugar Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook, Sugar edition and Scalix users will receive advanced, integrated functionality. Available today and in the near future:

• Full ability to sync shared information between Sugar and Scalix, including contacts, calendar items and tasks
• Email archiving from the Scalix inbox into Sugar
• Rules-based sync of designated customer contacts, messages and appointments
• Integration with Scalix’s award-winning AJAX web client, called Scalix Web Access (SWA), will be available in Scalix’s next release. SWA is so fully featured that many of Scalix’s users around the globe are using it as their primary email client.

More detailed information on Scalix’s leading messaging solution as well as integration with Sugar Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook can be found on http://www.sugarexchange.com and downloaded on SugarForge at http://www.sugarforge.org/.

Channel partners who support both Scalix and SugarCRM said they see significant potential for their customers as a result of the integration between the two companies.

“The collaboration between Scalix and SugarCRM will be a huge advantage for customers and resellers building open enterprise systems,” said Gordon Hubbard, managing director of Custom Technology Australia Pty. Ltd., an Australian-based Scalix and SugarCRM VAR partner. “It gives customers best of breed commercial open source CRM and industrial-strength messaging – integrated on the highly reliable and scalable Linux platform. We look forward to seeing the benefits of improved integration between these two leading software suites.”

Because the Scalix “clients of choice” architecture offers maximum choice in client desktops and mail interfaces, IT departments can let users retain the familiar email client they use daily, while still gaining the benefits of Linux and open source for the underlying messaging infrastructure. With the majority of corporate desktops running Outlook, Scalix’s feature-to-feature support for Outlook is one of the primary reasons companies are choosing Scalix when they want a Linux-based Exchange alternative.

About Scalix Corporation

Scalix is the leading Linux email, calendaring and messaging company, addressing the needs of CIOs, email administrators and end users to have a Linux-based, open source-supported, field-tested collaboration environment. With over 1 million mailboxes worldwide, 60,000 Community Edition downloads, more than 3,000 community forum members and over 425 corporate customers, Scalix is the most robust Linux-based email and calendaring platform available to enterprises today. Scalix products are available online at www.scalix.com and through Linux resellers worldwide.

About SugarCRM

SugarCRM is the world's leading provider of commercial open source customer relationship management (CRM) software for companies of all sizes. SugarCRM easily adapts to any business environment by offering a more flexible, cost-effective alternative than proprietary applications. SugarCRM's open source architecture allows companies to more easily customize and integrate customer-facing business processes in order to build and maintain more profitable relationships. SugarCRM offers several deployment options, including on-demand, on-premise and appliance-based solutions to suit customers' security, integration and configuration needs.