Overview
Setting up and using the WorldClient Server
Included in MDaemon v8 is WorldClient. WorldClient is a web-based email solution designed to offer users email client functionality using their favorite web browser. All of their email folders reside on the server so that they have access to everything as if they were at the office. WorldClient can easily hold its own against traditional mail clients while providing the added bonus of its ability to enable users to access their email from anywhere at anytime.
There are many ways in which WorldClient can be used. Use it to keep your mobile staff in touch with their email-remember, WorldClient is not workstation dependent so "mobile" can also mean just traveling across the building. Use WorldClient to offer web-based email services to your customers, and customize the interface to display advertising banners. Use it on a kiosk or in a computer lab to provide email to students or other individuals who may not have a personal computer of their own.
WorldClient also provides many benefits to email administrators. Now you don't have to configure and maintain each individual email client since WorldClient isn't workstation dependent. Customize the graphical images and HTML pages used in WorldClient to suit your corporate needs or the needs of your customer. Further, give your users the ability to maintain their own account settings thus saving you time-you can give as much or as little control to your users as you want.
Finally, there are features that will benefit your customers directly, such as: extensive email functionality wherever you find a browser, client-side interface available in 18 languages, personal and domain address books, manageable mail folders and filters, send/receive file attachments, multiple visual "themes" for interface, and much more.
Calendar & Scheduling System
MDaemon is equipped with a complete collaboration system. From within WorldClient you can easily create appointments, schedule meetings, and work with address books. Recurring appointments are fully supported, and appointments have many fields available to describe them. Further, contacts, calendars, and task data are stored as IMAP folders within each user's root mail directory. Through WorldClient, your users can access these personal folders and control which other users have access to them. All WorldClient themes (especially Lookout) have templates that present contact, calendar, and task folders in a logical and attractive way.
Because the Calendar system is integrated with MDaemon, there is the added benefit of email notifications of appointments, whether scheduled by you or a third-party. Whenever someone other than yourself schedules an appointment for you, you will receive an email message summarizing the appointment. Each designated appointment attendee will receive an email message detailing the appointment's date, time, location, subject, and list of attendees. Further, any attendees who have calendar entries that conflicted with the appointment's timeslot will receive a message notifying them of the appointment and its conflict with their schedule. The person who scheduled the meeting will receive a summary message listing all of the meeting's details and invited attendees who did or did not have scheduling conflicts.
The Calendar System is also equipped with support for Internet Calendar (iCal) used by Microsoft Outlook and other iCalendar compliant email programs. The Calendar System can detect and process iCalendar information sent to your users and update their calendars accordingly. When a user opens an iCalendar attachment from within WorldClient the information contained in the attachment will be reflected in the user's WorldClient calendar. Also, when users create new meetings or appointments they can list one or more email addresses to which they wish an iCalendar email to be sent. This feature can be set on a per-domain basis and then over-ridden by individual users in their WorldClient Options.
ComAgent
MDaemon is equipped with ComAgent, a secure instant messaging system, address book client, and tray applet that provides quick access to WorldClient's email features. ComAgent can be downloaded by each WorldClient user and then installed on the individual's local computer. It is preconfigured for the specific user when downloaded thus limiting the need to configure it manually.
ComAgent runs in the background and checks your account for new mail by querying the WorldClient server directly. This eliminates the need to open a browser or keep one open to check your email- ComAgent checks for new mail and notifies you with a sound or visual alert when new mail arrives. ComAgent also displays a list of your mail folders and the number and type of messages that each one contains (new, unread, and read). Furthermore, it can be used to launch your browser and move it immediately to a specific mail folder, the first unread message, the compose page, or your calendar page.
Additionally, ComAgent can be used to provide two-way address book synchronization between MDaemon and the Outlook/Outlook Express address book on each user's local computer. Thus, if you use both Outlook or Outlook Express and WorldClient at different times, the address books will match in both products.
Finally, ComAgent is also equipped with a complete instant messaging system. You can view your list of ComAgent "buddies" and each one's online status (online, away, offline), start a conversation with any one or group of them, set your own online status, and view past conversations in a history folder. For specific instructions on how to use ComAgent, see its online help system.
There are several options related to ComAgent and instant messaging (IM) located on the Domain Options tab.
ComAgent's Instant Messaging System
ComAgent is equipped with a simple but effective instant messaging (IM) system. With this system you can communicate instantly with any other account on your MDaemon server. You can choose a list of "buddies" from a list of all MDaemon users and then see which ones are online and ready to receive an IM. You will also be able to start a group conversation involving several buddies at once. All of the IM features are available via the shortcut (right-click) menu within ComAgent.
ComAgent's IM system is also scriptable, which allows custom programs to interface with it. By creating semaphore (SEM) files in the \MDaemon\WorldClient\ directory, an external application can send IM messages to ComAgent users immediately. The following is the format of the SEM file:
To: frank@example.com Email address of ComAgent user.
From: rip@example.com Email address of instant message's sender.
<blank line>
Text of instant message. This is the text sent as an instant message.
The SEM file name must start with the characters "IM-" and be followed by a unique numerical value. For example, "IM-0001.SEM". Applications should also create a corresponding file called "IM-0001.LCK" to lock the SEM file. Once the SEM file is completed remove the LCK file and the SEM file will be processed. MDaemon uses this scripting method to send Instant Message reminders to you about upcoming appointments and meetings.
An action was added to the Content Filter system that uses this scripting method to send instant messages. Further, rules utilizing this action can use the Content Filter macros in the IM. For example, you can create an instant message rule that looks like this:
You have received an email from $SENDER$.
Subject: $SUBJECT$
This rule would be an effective way to get new mail alerts through ComAgent.
Because many businesses and administrators have reservations about using an Instant Messaging system in their company due to the inherent lack of centralized accountability and the inability to monitor IM traffic that is in traditional and well known IM clients, we have designed ComAgent's instant messaging system to minimize those deficiencies. First of all, our system is not peer-to-peer-individual ComAgent clients do not connect directly to each other. Further, because every IM passes through the server, each message is logged in a central location accessible to the MDaemon/WorldClient administrator. Thus a record of all conversations can be maintained for the security of both your company and your employees or users. IM activity is logged in a file called InstantMessaging.log located in the MDaemon\LOGS\ directory. The assurance of accountability is also the primary reason we do not support other IM clients such as ICQ, AOL, and MSN. We may, however, add that capability as an optional feature in some future version of MDaemon. Finally, our IM system is secure in that each transaction is strongly encrypted from start to finish so that plain text is never transmitted.
Instant Messaging is provided on a per-domain basis. Controls for activating instant messaging and designating whether or not IM traffic should be logged are located on the Options tab of the WorldClient dialog (Setup WorldClient… Options).
Automatic Address Book Synchronization
By using ComAgent in conjunction with MDaemon's integrated address book system, you can provide two-way synchronization between MDaemon and the Outlook/Outlook Express address book on each user's local computer. Thus, if you use both Outlook or Outlook Express and WorldClient at different times, the address books will match in both products.
MDaemon maintains an accurate and continuously up to date database of users each time an MDaemon account is added, removed, or modified. ComAgent has the ability to poll MDaemon at regular intervals and acquire all the contact information being stored there. It then publishes this information to the local computer's Windows Address Book or contact store. This has the effect of instantaneously updating any local software package which uses the local address book system (for example, Outlook/Outlook Express).
Anyone using ComAgent with the proper access credentials can also add Public contacts by using the Windows Address Book directly, or through Outlook/Outlook Express. The new contact will be picked up by ComAgent and uploaded to MDaemon's address book. From there all other users on your network will have access to the new contact the next time their ComAgent poles MDaemon.
On the Synchronization tab of ComAgent's properties dialog you can specify the folders within your Windows Address Book that you wish to be synchronized. You can designate separate folders for both Public and Private contacts.
