Regroup was a company coming to the end of its life cycle for its groupware system running off Windows NT as well as Microsoft Exchange. They had approximately 50 users running Outlook 2000 clients. The client PCs were upgraded only a year before and were in fine conditions. The challenge was to replace the ailing Windows NT machine (which had passed its support date from Microsoft ) and Microsoft Exchange without the need of replacing all the client systems or the software they ran on (Outlook 2000).

Traversing a windows Exchange path would mean paying for features they would not use as the Regroup did not need them as well as the fact that the client PCs did not support the new Exchange 2003 features. Moreover it would of meant purchasing additional Client Access Licenses for Windows 2003 as well as a Server license. Money that would not of enhanced the user experience any further.

The solution was Novells' Suse Linux Open Exchange. This allowed us to replace the Server operating system with Suse Linux Enterprise System as well as the groupware with SLOX but at the same time allow the clients PCs hardware and software to be maintained. Because of its Open nature SLOX does not impose the type of client to communicate with the server hence working for Regroups needs and not against them. It also gives them more options when the time does come for them to upgrade the client end PCs.

Spiknet Solutions provided the know how in terms of the groupware infrastructure study, the technological migration as well as business management migration .

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