Data Sheet

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Key Highlights

• Feature-rich offering including calendaring, group scheduling, event information sharing, task management, event and task search, and email invitations
• Event and task deadline reminders via email and instant messaging
• Multiple calendar views such as day, week, month, and overview
• Multiple calendar clients, including Java System Communications Express
• Access via Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Evolution clients
• Mobile access via the Java System Portal Server Mobile Access and other mobile solutions
• Integration with the Java System Access Manager for user provisioning and single sign-on
• Enhanced security with SSL/TLS support
• Enhanced high-availability solution through Sun Cluster software
• Open, extensible platform for branding, customization, and extension

The Java System Calendar Server offers outstanding collaboration features such as calendaring, group scheduling, event information sharing, task management, email invitations, reminders via email and instant messaging, and multiple client support. With the Java System Calendar Server, users can access their calendar via multiple clients. Multiple connectors enable Microsoft Outlook users and Mozilla Thunderbird or Evolution open source communications clients to access the Java System Calendar Server.

With its rich feature set, flexible deployment architecture, integration with other Java System products, and multiple client options, the Java System Calendar Server is ideally suited for both service providers and enterprises. It provides the quality of experience and service that end users require, as well as the open, extensible platform that IT administrators and developers appreciate -- all at a low TCO.

Communication and collaboration services

Leveraging the Java System Access Manager, Java Communications Suite software benefits from features such as single sign-on and common provisioning. Integration with the Java System Portal Server through prebuilt portal channels adds user context to communication and collaboration services as well secure remote access through VPN on demand and mobile access via multiple devices.

Quality of experience

The use of electronic calendars to manage time and resources is increasing. Demand for calendar services and continued use of the service is driven by the quality of the end-user experience, which in turn is determined by the features of the service, its ease of use, personalization, and accessibility through multiple media types and devices. The Java System Calendar Server is designed to facilitate schedule and resource coordination among communities of users. Enterprise customers appreciate the end-user satisfaction and increased productivity; service providers benefit from customer satisfaction and retention; and both appreciate the positive effects on the bottom line.

Group scheduling

With the Java System Calendar Server, organizers are able to create an event and invite others (who may accept or decline the invitation). Group scheduling functionality includes the ability to:

• Invite others to events
• Accept and decline events
• Designate events as public or private
• Optionally include the organizer as an attendee
• Forward meeting invitations to others
• View availability information for attendees
• View a group schedule (see attendee schedules side by side)
• Simultaneously view availability of Microsoft Outlook and Java System Calendar Server users
• Attendees do not need to be on the same calendar server to be invited to an event. When the Java System Calendar Server detects that an attendee is not on the calendar server, the scheduling message and iCalendar Message-based Interoperability Protocol (iMIP) attachment are sent via email.

Resource scheduling

Organizational resources such as conference rooms, overhead projectors, and other resources may be scheduled using the Java System Calendar Server.

Available-time search

An available-time search feature on multiple calendars enables users to see the availability of other people before events and appointments are scheduled. The user interface offers side-by-side group views for a set of calendars, making group scheduling easier.

Information sharing

Users can share information relevant to events or tasks by embedding file attachments, for example, agenda or presentation materials, in the event description. Users may also embed hyperlinks in an event title or description that point to meeting background or reference material that will be launched in a separate browser window.

Text search

Users can search all of their calendars to quickly locate events, appointments, and tasks, such as a dentist appointment that was made three months ago.

Multiple calendars per user

Java System Calendar Server users are able to improve personal organization and efficiency by creating calendars for different sets of appointments, such as a work calendar to organize meetings, a team calendar to manage a product development schedule, or a personal calendar.

End-user privacy controls

The Java System Calendar Server provides both calendar-level and event-level access policy. Granular privacy controls enable end users to grant different levels of access to their calendars, including any or all of the following:

• View availability only
• Schedule events
• Read, modify, and/or delete events and tasks

Calendar users may also designate individual events as public, private, or time/date only, and may optionally include free/busy calculations.

Flexible access

Different users have different access requirements. Some view calendars only via an Internet kiosk, some require an integrated, full-featured personal information management client, and some require mobile and remote access. The Java System Calendar Server includes Java System Communications Express for unified, web-based access to calendaring, email, and a common address book. Java System Communications Express provides the interface for all end-user functionality of the calendar server, including multiple calendar views, task management, and administration such as reminder options, time zones, and privacy controls.

With the increasing interest in communications infrastructure consolidation, many IT departments are investigating alternative infrastructure solutions. However, they are reluctant to disrupt their end-user experience with a change in client access. The Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook enables Outlook users to access the server-side features and functionality of both the Java System Calendar Server and Java System Messaging Server using the Microsoft Messaging API (MAPI). The Connector uses the Web Calendar Access Protocol (WCAP) to query the Java System Calendar Server for meetings, events, and tasks, which are then converted into MAPI properties. It also provides access to the server-based personal address book by making it available as Outlook contacts.

The Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook supports Microsoft Outlook 2000 through Outlook 2007 and enables support for most Outlook functionality, including:

• Access to mail, calendar, and address book services
• Send and receive meeting requests and responses via email
• Free/busy lookup, tasks, contacts, and attachments
• Calendar sharing and delegation
• Group scheduling
• Offline access
• Public and shared folders (mail, calendar, and address book)
• Advanced message and folder management

Integration with the Java System Portal Server enables users to access calendars from within a portal environment via a prebuilt portal channel. The Java System Messaging Server and Java System Instant Messaging are also integrated with the Java System Portal Server, which can serve as a common access point for communication and collaboration services.

Mobile and wireless access are available through the portal integration as well as via the Java System Communications Sync software and other mobile solutions available from Sun partners. Customers can use the Java System Communications Sync to synchronize data between the Java System Calendar Server and a personal information manager -- either on the desktop or on a mobile device.

Common address book

Java System Communications Express provides a full-featured contact management module, or address book. This address book provides common contact management functionality across both email and calendaring components of the Web interface and is also accessible from Outlook with the Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook installed. Using the address book, users can:

• Create, manage, print, and share address books
• Add, sort, edit, delete, and organize contacts and groups
• Send emails or view calendars of contacts
• Import or export the contact information from or to other address book formats, for example, Netscape Address Book, Outlook Address Book, or Java System Communications Express address book components
• Search corporate or remote address books in addition to a personal address book

When users first select the address book tab, all the contacts and groups in the personal address book are displayed. A drop-down list enables users to select alternative address book categories with the contacts and groups in them. The list can have multiple personal address books as well as the corporate directory of the organization.

Open and extensible platform

Organizations must be able to accommodate enhancements or modifications to communication and collaboration services to reflect changing end-user requirements and business needs -- without disrupting existing services. The Java System Calendar Server addresses these requirements by providing:

• A standards-based solution to protect technology investments
• APIs for service extensions and product customization
• Service delivery mechanisms to support any business model — whether deployed internally or hosted externally

Open standards support

The ratification of Internet standards for calendaring has been a catalyst in moving calendaring and scheduling into mainstream Internet activities. Sun has contributed to the development of these new standards and has implemented them in the Java System Calendar Server, enabling it to interoperate with other calendar products. The Java System Calendar Server supports standards such as iCalendar (RFC 2445), iCalendar Transport-independent Interoperability Protocol (iTIP) (RFC 2446), and iMIP (RFC 2447). It also enables users to import and export both XML and iCalendar-formatted calendar information.

Event notification

The Java System Calendar Server uses a flexible notification service (which includes support for the Java Message Queue system) to dispatch event reminders and calendar database changes via email, pager, or wireless devices. Enhancements to developer APIs (both C and the Java Message Service API) enable customers to extend this notification to end users through a variety of additional delivery mechanisms such as XML, Short Message Service (SMS), or instant messaging.

Customizable user interface

The Java System Calendar Server software's flexible XML and eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) templates enable the integration of brands, logos, banners, and ads as well as a customized look and feel. And because the templates are reusable, investment in customization is easily leveraged when upgrading to the next release of the product.

Service extension

Customizable event feeds

The Java System Calendar Server offers a standard event feed capability that enables real-time delivery of content tailored to a user's individual areas of interest. A variety of content — for example, weather, IPO schedules, and book release schedules — can be delivered to the user.

Quality of service

End users demand secure, always-on, always-available services. From an IT perspective, downtime increases costs. The Java System Calendar Server is a robust calendar solution designed to deliver the quality of service required to meet the demands of end users.

Horizontal and vertical scalability

The smaller the number of servers required to deliver services to larger communities, the easier it is to manage those servers, maintain quality of service, and keep costs down. The Java System Calendar Server is based on a scalable architecture that helps maximize hardware investment by enabling it to handle a high volume of simultaneous, real-time calendaring events.

High availability

The Sun Cluster platform provides high availability and scalability to everyday software applications on the Solaris Operating System through continuous network and data availability. Integration with Sun Cluster enables the Java System Calendar Server to support continuous availability and centralized cluster management.

Identity management integration

The Java System Calendar Server is tightly integrated with Sun's industry-leading identity management platform, including the Java System Directory Server and Java System Access Manager. Integration with the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)-based Java System Directory Server enables the central management and storage of user and account information, simplifying management and administration. Java System Access Manager integration provides single sign-on and common provisioning across all Java Communications Suite products.

For more information

To learn more about the Java System Calendar Server, visit sun.com/comms.

Platforms and Requirements

Operating Systems

• Solaris 10 and 9 Operating Systems
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 3 and 4

System Requirements

• Memory: 1 GB minimum
• Disk Space: 500 MB minimum; 1 GB recommended

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