Mirapoint Inc is repackaging its dedicated email appliance server for ASP application service providers and plans several other configurations that will address different parts of the market. It currently sells two configurations aimed at the high and low- ends of the market. The company also plans to build out its core email system software with complimentary application calendaring, chat, collaboration, directory and groupware services. It will develop some new appliances and partner for others. Having created a core message storage and access mechanism, Mirapoint says whatever else it adds will effectively lead to the creation of ‘edge’ devices like a directory appliance. It says it’s investigating all IP-based messaging opportunities; including fax, document and voice services.
Mirapoint has just released version 1.5 of its BSD-based embedded operating system software which now includes support for LDAP, SSL, SSH and Kerberos security. Mirapoint says LDAP’s key for enabling its appliances to support outsourced email and delegated management as well as integrating with corporate accounting systems and ASP’s billing and provisioning systems. The system software is highly integrated with the Intel firmware and although Mirapoint says it could unbundle the service if it really wanted to, its business is selling servers not licensing operating system software.
Although its servers support up to 150,000 email clients, its biggest installations are at Frontier and GSAT, which are supporting up to 80,000 users. The M100 and M1000 cost $16,600 and $29,000 respectively. The company claims to have no direct competition; it counts Cobalt Networks Inc and Whistle Communications Inc software as very low-end environments.
It says it is not concerned about Sun Microsystems Inc’s forthcoming Flapjack rackmount servers which are aimed at ASPs and ISPs if all they have done is stuffed existing servers in a different chassis. It’s not an appliance, Mirapoint observes. The company, which claims 40 installations – some are evaluation units – says it is still living off its venture capital money and hopes to go to an IPO some time next year.
