On Thu, 29 May 2003, Tony Hain wrote:
Dave Crocker wrote:
Please indicate some historical basis for moving an installed
base of users on this kind of scale and for this kind of reason.
their customers about the opportunity to use a new app. The larger
providers (AOL, MSN, Yahoo, ...) can drive media attention and might
The providers you have listed all have what I'd call closed applications.
Yahoo is (largely) browser based working from a MUA coded in their server.
AOL is client-server, again the MUA is in their server and, I believe but
have never observed, MSN is similar to AOL. Other examples as well.
Once a new/updated mail protocol is available, then each of the above must
implement updates to their servers. Then deploy the changes. The new
revised system will just happen to the average user of those services.
The slower process will be the millions of smaller mail infrastructures,
As long as the new protocols provide a migration plan and support, upgrade
over a year or two is a reasonable expectation. A key requirement on the
providers of the server and client software is to NOT include dependancies
on related system software versions which would force the prospective
upgradee to encounter the upgrade domino chain which ends up in
substantial costs for unrelated software or hardware.
Dave Morris