Stalker Software Announces Stalker Internet Mail Server 1.0beta
MILL VALLEY, CA – May 15th, 1997 – Stalker Software, Inc. announced today
the first public beta version of the Stalker Internet Mail Server – a
high-performance Open-Transport native SMTP, POP3, and “poppwd” server for
the MacOS.
The industry-strong Stalker Internet Mail Server is FREE. It does not have
any demo/trial limitations, and it can be used to support several hundred
accounts and multiple domains. This product fills the gap between the
commercial servers as the CommuniGate(tm) Integrated Messaging System and
low-end freeware mail servers.
The high performance Mail Server relies on the OpenTransport features.
While the first release is still slower than the best UNIX mail servers on
comparable CPUs, several enhancements will be implemented shortly. But even
this beta version (available in the MC68K code) easily handles 100+
incoming and 100+ outgoing simultaneous connections on a Quadra or low-end
PowerPC machines, using 500-800K of RAM. The speed of PowerPC- native
version of the server is expected to be limited with the MacOS File System
bottlenecks only.
The server can be configured, controlled, and monitored from any
workstation on the LAN, or remotely, via the Internet. The CommuniGator
application version 2.7 or better (the client component of the
CommuniGate(tm) Messaging System) can be used to perform all administrating
operations over the LAN. When talking to the Stalker Internet Mail Server,
the CommuniGator application enables only its administrating functions.
Future releases will allow system administrators to configure the Stalker
Internet Mail Server with any Web browser, so the CommuniGator application
will not be necessary. This functionality is under alpha- testing now.
The Stalker Internet Mail Server mailbox format is identical to the UN*X
mailbox format. If TCP/IP services are not available on the LAN, any mailer
that can read UN*X mailboxes directly (such as Eudora(r)) can also work
with the Mail Server accounts via the File Sharing subsystem.
The utility to convert freeware Apple/Eudora Internet Mail Server account
information into Stalker Internet Mail Server accounts will be provided
with the 1.0 final release.
The document (http://www.stalker.com/Solutions/MailCompare.html) explains
the difference between the Stalker Internet Mail Server, the CommuniGate
Server, and other free Internet Mail Servers available for the MacOS. A
short version of that document it attached below.
In spite of the differences, the Stalker Internet Mail Server employs some
of the CommuniGate Server technologies:
* the interrupt-driven communication algorithms for high-speed
message transfer on nondedicated servers;
* the CommuniGate Address Parser and the CommuniGate Router;
* the Internet protocols implementation;
* support for dial-in SMTP clients;
* remote administrating;
Pricing and Availability
Stalker Internet Mail Server is available free of charge.
The software can be downloaded from: (http://www.stalker.com/SIMS/),
(ftp://ftp.stalker.com/), or any major Mac Internet archive.
Support
Stalker Software opens a new mailing list to discuss the Internet Mail
Server issues: (sims@stalker.com).
All product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective manufacturers.
###
Stalker Software, Inc. develops and distributes networking and
communication software for the MacOS. The company was founded in Europe
in 1991 and opened its U.S. offices in 1993 at 655 Redwood Highway,
suite 275, Mill Valley, Calif. 94941. For more information about Stalker
Software and its products, please contact Ali Liptrot, director of sales
and marketing, at (800) 262-4722 or (415) 383-7164. She can also be
contacted by fax at (415) 383-7461 or E-mail at (mailto:ali@stalker.com).
Visit the Stalker Software web site at (http://www.stalker.com).
— Attachment —-
This table shows the features of some Mail Servers available for the MacOS.
The features marked with (*) are not yet available in the released versions.
Stalker Internet Other free Mac CommuniGate Server
Mail Server Mail servers
Availability Free Free Commercial/free trial
Internet Mail Communications
OpenTransport native compatible native
Old MacTCP supported supported
Multitasking preemptive cooperative preemptive
SMTP TCP + AppleTalk TCP TCP + AppleTalk
POP3 TCP + AppleTalk TCP TCP + AppleTalk
IMAP4 TCP + AppleTalk
UUCP Modems + TCP + AppleTalk
via File System supported via 3rd Party supported
via AppleEvents supported
Dial-up Site TCP Support
SMTP send only send only send and receive,
scheduled connections
(RFC1985, wakeups, etc.)
POP3 scheduled individual
accounts and Unified
Domain-wide account
auto-retrieve
UUCP scheduled multi-host
multi-line connections
Full time Dial-up Site TCP Support
Link drop implemented implemented
recovery
Dial-up Clients Support
SMTP RFC1985 support RFC1985 support
POP3 Unified Domain- Unified Domain-
wide accounts wide accounts
UUCP Call-in and call-out.
MIME/charset converting
domain mapping direct,merged direct direct, merged
Mail Services
Error messages generated generated generated
Return-Receipts basic several types
MIME converting built-in
Foreign account implemented implemented
aliasing
Account Services
Access protocols POP3 POP3 AppleEvents, POP3, IMAP
MacOS passwords supported supported
Concurrent all protocols
Access
New Mail *NotifyMail(tm) NotifyMail(tm) Notifier,*NotifyMail(tm)
notification pager, fax, printer
Auto-processing Multi-rule
Space Limitation implemented implemented
User Preferences proprietary proprietary, *ACAP
Storage
Other Messaging Services
Fax gateway included
Pager gateway included
Printer gateway included
List Server included
Remote Administration
AppleTalk/LAN CommuniGator CommuniGator
Internet/WAN *Web Browser *Web Browser
Remote password poppwd poppwd *poppwd
System Requirements
MacOS version 7.x 7.x 7.x
TCP link full-time full-time direct, FreePPP, OT/PPP
Server memory 500K n/a 800-1000K
(100 simultaneous
connections, 1000
messages in queue)