July 27, 2005 (IDG News Service) --
Plaxo Inc. launched a Mozilla Thunderbird-compatible beta version of its e-mail contact management software Tuesday. Plaxo Toolbar for Thunderbird will allow Thunderbird users to update their e-mail contacts and calendars automatically using Plaxo's software.
Thunderbird, released in December 2004, is The Mozilla Foundation's desktop e-mail client.
The partnership represents a vote of confidence in Mozilla's open-source browser and e-mail software. Mozilla offers free open-source alternatives to Microsoft Corp.'s Outlook Express and Internet Explorer and has recently been chipping away at IE's colossal market share.
Though many add-ons to Firefox and Thunderbird are available through Mozilla's Web site, this is the first e-mail contact management product to support Thunderbird.
"One lf the great things about this Plaxo extension is that it shows off how extendable and customizable the Mozilla platform is," said Thunderbird lead engineer Scott MacGregor. "For a third-party company to come in and [add this extension], I think that is very important. Extensions are a big part of customizing the product for each individual user, and the fact that companies like Plaxo can do this is a big step for them."
In addition to Thunderbird, Plaxo is also fully integrated with Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook. In addition, Plaxo users can synchronize address-book information from a variety of Web-based e-mail providers such as Hotmail and Yahoo Mail.
Mozilla's Firefox browser has been downloaded more than 75 million times. Thunderbird is approaching 10 million downloads, MacGregor said. Mountain View, Calif.-based Plaxo's products are used by more than 5 million clients.
A download of Plaxo Toolbar for Thunderbird in beta is now available online.
Reprinted with permission from IDG.net Story copyright 2008 International Data Group. All rights reserved.
One positive development stemming from the collapse of Wall Street may be a boost in interest in computer science and IT careers among students who were previously interested in financial services jobs.
Download this Technology Briefing, free, compliments of Dell. (Source: Dell) The benefits of Software as a Service (SaaS) are extending their reach into systems management. So in addition to the more obvious cost control and rapid application deployment benefits, SaaS can be instrumental in filling needs for compliance, security and business continuity - all the while reducing costly infrastructure. Learn more in this brand new Technology Briefing. Download this executive briefing
Virtualization: Simplify. Automate. Lower Costs.
Virtualization: Simplify. Automate. Lower Costs. Watch this complimentary webcast today! Go to the webcast
White Papers
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services.
Companies today are realizing that competitive advantage is harder to sustain when based solely on gains in productivity and cost efficiency. The focus is shifting to invest more in business optimization initiatives which rely on trusted information to develop new insights that deliver better business results. But how can this be done efficiently in a business environment across multiple applications and processes. The answer is an Information Agenda - an innovative approach to transforming business information into a strategic asset for competitive advantage.