Navigation:  Setup Menu > Web, Sync, & IM Services > WorldClient (web mail) > Overview

WorldClient is a web-based email solution included in MDaemon and designed to offer users email client functionality using their favorite web browser. 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 as long as they have an Internet or network connection. Further, because all of their email folders, contacts, calendars, and so on reside on the server instead of on their local computer, they can have access to everything as if they were at their desk.

WorldClient provides many benefits to email administrators. Since WorldClient isn't workstation dependent you can configure everything from the server, unlike many client applications. This saves you from having to configure and maintain each individual email client. You can also customize the graphical images and HTML pages used in WorldClient to suit your corporate needs, or the needs of your customer. Further, you can 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, in addition to the convenience of having a web-based client, there are many additional features that will benefit your users, such as: extensive email functionality, client-side interface available in almost 30 languages, personal and global address books, manageable mail folders and filters, send/receive file attachments, multiple visual "themes" for the interface, themes for mobile devices, calendar features, groupware features, an integrated instant messenger that can be downloaded to your desktop, 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, notes, 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 conflict with the appointment's time slot 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 by individual users in their WorldClient options.

ComAgent

ComAgent is MDaemon's 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 pre-configured 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.

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 tray icon's shortcut menu, and from the ComAgent window.

ComAgent's IM system is also scriptable, which allows custom programs to interface with it. By creating semaphore (SEM) files in the \MDaemon\WorldClient\ folder, an external application can send instant messages to your ComAgent users. The following is the format of the SEM file:

 

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.

The Content Filter system is equipped with an Action 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 could create a rule to send an instant message rule containing lines like this:

You have received an email from $SENDER$.

Subject: $SUBJECT$

This rule would be an effective way to send 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. Finally, ComAgent's 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 ComAgent/IM screen of the WorldClient dialog ("Setup » Web, Sync, & IM Services » ComAgent/IM").

ComAgent Skins

ComAgent's interface is compatible with msstyles skins, which are readily available on the internet. Several styles are included, but to install a new style, download the *.msstyles file and place it under ComAgent's \Styles\ folder in a subfolder with the same name as the file. For example, if the file was called Yoda.msstyles then the path for the file would be: "\.\Styles\Yoda\Yoda.msstyles"

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 query 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 queries MDaemon.

On the Synchronization screen of ComAgent's Preferences 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.

For more Address Book options, see:

WorldClient (web mail) » ComAgent/IM

LDAP

Windows Address Book