Sync Outlook with Kerio Connect Server

Sync Outlook with Kerio Connect Server 

The Kerio Connect Server is a favored messaging solution among mid-sized and small businesses. Notably, it offers beneficial features like contact, calendar, and task sharing, facilitating collaboration within the company.

A decent Exchange alternative

As an Exchange alternative distinct from free mail servers, Kerio offers its own Outlook Connector, allowing Outlook users to access their data on the Kerio Connect Server. However, there have been user reports indicating that it operates sluggishly.

Exploring Mysterious CardDAV and CalDAV URLs

However, if we aim to retrieve CardDAV and CalDAV data from third-party software like Thunderbird on the Kerio Connect Server, we must acquire the URLs for contacts, calendars, and tasks. Although Kerio's KB provides tutorials for this (http://kb.kerio.com/product/kerio-connect/email-clients/mobile-devices/manual-configuration-of-caldav-and-carddav-accounts-1327.html), these URLs often prove ineffective.

In discovering URLs that really work

Here, I found EVO Collaborator for Outlook handy and it works on CardDAV and CalDAV URLs auto discovery. Here is how:

1. Download and install EVO Collaborator for Outlook from its official website
2. Open Outlook and go to Configure profiles
   
   
   
3. Enter your Kerio Connect Server IP like this:
   
   https://<Server_IP>:port
4. Enter username and password. Then click on TEST
5. CardDAV URL and CalDAV URLs will appear, shown as below:
   
   
   

Personal and Public folders 

In ECO's Configure profiles, beside the URLs, there are folder icons that allow you to choose between Personal or Public folders. Opting for the public folder will display public URLs. However, upon examination, we notice that these URLs differ from those instructed in Kerio's KB.

If you utilize Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, or 2019, you can proceed with ECO. If you wish to access the Kerio server from Thunderbird, you can simply copy and paste the provided URLs into the SoGO connector and Lightning plug-ins for Thunderbird.

Sync Outlook with Horde Groupware Server

Sync Outlook with Horde Groupware Server 

In this year of 2020, more and more jobs require people to work from home due to COVID-19 pandamic. Syncing calendar, contact and task remotely from home in order to cope with colleagues has become an issue for those who have not done this before.

Horde Groupware Server is an popular open-source solution in United States and Europe Union. Many companies use them for address book, calendar and task sharing and synchronization.

A decent Exchange alternative

horde groupware

Since it is an open-source software, we can treat it as one of the alternatives to implement over Exchange Server or Office 365. Yet, it is well maintained that updates are released now and then.

CardDAV and CalDAV implementation

Horde Groupware serve is using CardDAV and CalDAV as backbone for contact, calendar and task. Users are able to connect to the server and synchronize data items across platforms such as Windows, Linux, iOS, OS X, BB, and Android...

What about Outlook 2016 & 2019?

Thanks to CardDAV and CalDAV webdav protocols, it is common to sync under all above platforms except Windows. For Outlook does not support these open-source standards, we need an add-in as bridge to interconnect the server and Outlook. Here, I found EVO Collaborator for Outlook handy and it works:

1. Download and install EVO Collaborator for Outlook from the official website
2. Open Outlook and go to Configure profile(s)
3. Click on a Profile #22 or any not-configured entry to the left.
4. Enter Horde Groupware server URL in Hostname (CardDAV/CalDAV) or webcal:// URL like this:
   
   
   https://<Server_IP>/horde/rpc.php
5. Enter username and password. Then click on TEST, Apply and Quit.

Three Exchange Calendar Alternative based on SabreDAV

Three Exchange Calendar Alternative based on SabreDAV

When your company is short on funds to run an Exchange Server, there are cheaper options to host your email part.

However, there are not many free mail server or affordable solution for hosting contact and calendar services for your company. There are a few options that run based on SabreDAV. You may want to try them out.

1. Kolab –
   
   A Unix-like groupware offering mail, contact, calendar services. It is free and has support forum community. If you are running Unix-like environment, go for it.
2. OwnCloud –
   
   A cross-platform contact/calendar/task/webdav server. It is also free based on AGPLv3 license. Many people run it at home or in office. It is a good choice if you already have a preferred email solution.
3. Baikal –
   
   A very light-weight CardDAV/CalDAV server running on Apache2 with running PHP environment. Same as OwnCloud, it is free and worth a while to try if you already have an email solution.

The above are the serverpart, what about client software? There are a wide variety of choices out there. They require many steps to configure. Here is a client software called EVO Collaborator for Outlook. This Outlook add-in for 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 compatible with many public contact/calendar/task services such as iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo! and fruux. Yet, some of the on-premise ones are also supported such as OwnCloud, Zimbra, Baikal, EVO Mail Server, Mac OS X Server and many more.

Exchange alternatives Windows or Linux

Exchange alternatives Windows or Linux

When people talk about email or messaging solution for business, they usually refer to Microsot Exchange Server. However, not every company can afford the pricey solution and its management efforts.

There are alternative paid or free mail server to Exchange Server (or vs Gmail). The following is a list of decent mail server for your consideration:

1. EVO Mail Server -
   

   

   This is a good choice for its performance per cost from a TCO point of view. It features IMAP, CardDAV and CalDAV instead of Exchange Global Address List and ActiveSync. Integration with Outlook is also possible with EVO platform. An unlimited-user environment at $285/yr. Available in Windows
2. Kerio -
   

   

   A decent collaboration server with web services covering pretty much all you need for its scalability. 50-user environment at $1680/yr. Available in Windows, OS X, Linux.
   
3. Axigen -
   

   

   A solid collaboration server, as competitive as Kerio, is easy to deploy. 50-users encironment runs at $550. Available in Windows and Linux ports.
   
4. Mail Enable –
   

   

   This unified messaging solution has a better TCO for its price and licensing. Unlimited-user environment at $349/yr. Available in Windows.
   
5. MDaemon -
   

   

   A collaboration server with Exchange ActiveSync that can be expanded to a large scale up to 2500 users. 50-user environment at $760. Available in Windows.
   
6. Zimbra -
   

   

   A Linux-based collaboration server fits your need if you do not use Windows server at all. 50-user environment at $1673. Available in Linux.