[mdlug] Here's my idea and rough sketch plan, is it feasible?

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> 	The bosses are interested in scooting us over to cell phones that
> allow us to access our email while on the road.
> 	What I have seen involves using a Microsoft Windows mobile device
> and the "Mobile" version of Outlook. As I understand it, this would require
> at least one, if not more than one new "hole" in our firewall and to use the
> "push" element that is a salespoint, might even require a MS Exchange
> server. For more than just technical reasons, we won't be switching to an
> Exchange server.
> 	Currently, I already have Squirrelmail running on our email server
> for accessing through the "Poor IT Guy's" VPN that I have running.
> 	Some of these cell phones and devices like the iPod Touch and iPhone
> have built-in WiFi that will allow for "Coffee House Surfing" with their
> built-in web browsers. I know that some websites disallow connections
> referred from other locations, for example to fight the Slashdot effect.
>  	So, here's my thoughts:
> 	1. Setup an SSL certificate on our in-house webserver
> 	2. Put a forwarder for HTTPS traffic in our firewall to the server
> 	3. Change over our main website to something using a Content
> Management System with secure logins setup for the management team. 
> 	4. They browse to our website, login, go to the secure page which
> will have a link to our in-house webserver using SSL, click on that and
> since they are referred from a secure location, the in-house server would be
> setup to accept their connection and allow them to check their email using
> the web-browser email application. Any attempted connections that isn't
> referred from the secure web page would be denied by the web server, which
> would hopefully put a good block against most hacking attempts.

I your user's are happy with using a web-mail interface via a phone then
they are exponentially more patient and tolerant than any users I have
met.  Also that most certainly isn't "push" mail,  users will have to
check their mail in the traditional sense.

I suggest you take a look at Funambol -
http://www.funambol.com/opensource/ - and use the native mail interfaces
provided on the devices.  Also allows users to continue to access their
mail when there is no data service or when transmitters are disabled
such as in a hospital or on a place.

-- 
Adam Tauno Williams, Network & Systems Administrator
Consultant - http://www.whitemiceconsulting.com
Developer - http://www.opengroupware.org