IceWarp, a global provider of communication and collaboration solutions, will carry out a migration project for a new client in Malaysia, moving 350,000 mailboxes from the competing Microsoft Exchange platform. MAMPU is one of Malaysia's leading government agencies responsible for modernizing public administration across federal, state, and local bodies. IceWarp met all the requirements for a comprehensive communication platform based on open standards and interoperable with other systems, which will increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Scale of the migration and project goals

MAMPU was looking for an opportunity to replace the expensive Microsoft Exchange platform in order to reduce dependence on large international software vendors and to safeguard the digital sovereignty of Malaysia's public sector. IceWarp met this requirement. Thanks to over 20 years of experience in the email industry, it has achieved global reach while retaining a local perspective through a network of partnerships that enable the delivery of tailored solutions for businesses of every size.

The project was planned over several years and included a detailed Proof of Concept study aimed at demonstrating the validity of the business idea. During the lockdowns and travel restrictions associated with the pandemic, the project required seamless collaboration among several IT teams: the government, IceWarp's distributor in Malaysia, Australia, and Asia-Pacific, as well as IceWarp experts working both in Kuala Lumpur and connecting remotely from the Central European headquarters. Within a few months, 1,500 terabytes of user data were migrated from Microsoft Exchange to the new infrastructure, and at the beginning of March, 350,000 users started their day on the new IceWarp platform with no downtime or disruption to their programs.

Solutions for effective on-site and online work

Add-ons essential for remote work

How IceWarp beats Microsoft in the public sector

IceWarp not only delivered all the key features previously provided by Microsoft Exchange, such as Outlook interoperability, Active Directory synchronization, and email and calendar delegation, but also improved and prepared several add-ons that are essential for effective remote work:

  • virtual conference rooms that enable online meetings via audio and video calls;
  • online document editing that provides the ability to work with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files from a browser, including team editing, while storing them securely in a private cloud.
  • TeamChat, which combines all these features into a single real-time collaboration tool, enabling the client to store all data locally, in its own data center. The implementation of the native IceWarp Desktop Client is currently being planned. This will allow for a complete replacement of Microsoft Outlook with a unified desktop client for email, calendars, contacts, and instant messaging, combined into an easy-to-use application available for both Windows and macOS.
“IceWarp makes it possible to break away from Microsoft. I am especially proud of the TeamChat Mobile app with its unique integration of email, chat, and conferencing, which proves that IceWarp is the most innovative alternative to popular solutions,” commented IceWarp CEO Adam Paclt. “MAMPU put a lot of effort into finding the perfect replacement for Microsoft. They paid particular attention to the direction we have taken over the past five years. We are honored that they consider us the most innovative and cost-effective alternative. We believe this project will be a valuable guide for other governments.”

Technology in public administration

Significance for the public sector

Establishing the right criteria for purchasing technology in public administration is key to avoiding vendor lock-in, as well as encouraging fair competition among suppliers and maximizing the use of public funds. IceWarp provides an alternative to the big market players, effectively bridging the gap between established platforms on one hand and open-source products on the other, which still lack both technical aspects and effective support. As a software provider for the public sector, IceWarp embraces the principles of open standards and interoperability to support e-government initiatives not only in Malaysia but also around the world.

Summary

IceWarp won the tender at the Malaysian government agency MAMPU to migrate 350,000 mailboxes from Microsoft Exchange. The project involved transferring 1,500 terabytes of data and was completed without downtime, while users gained additional tools such as virtual conference rooms and online document editing. There are also plans to replace Outlook with the native Desktop Client.

As IceWarp CEO Adam Paclt emphasizes, the implementation proves that the company is an innovative alternative to the big players while also ensuring interoperability and open standards — which could be a valuable guide for other governments considering independence from dominant vendors.