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MailConnect 3

October 30-31, 1997 / San Jose, CA USA

Welcome to the Web site for the MailConnect 3 interoperability event. This site also has information about MailConnect 1, the event held in August 1996, and MailConnect 2, the event held in March 1997.

An Interoperability Event for IMAP4 and End-to-End Security Testing

As Internet mail grows into its new role supporting mission-critical corporate communications, it is essential that we ensure proper interoperability among implementations from different vendors. To that end, the Internet Mail Consortium proposes an interoperability testing event in the classic Internet style. Roll up your sleeves, crank out your code, and test your implementation with your competitors'. Competition in open systems requires open cooperation to achieve the level of interoperability customers demand.

Focus

This MailConnect 3 Interoperability Event will emphasize IMAP4, S/MIME, and PGP/MIME.

IMAP4

IMAP4 is an old specification with new facilities promising substantial improvement for mobile and client/server mail environments. IMAP4 implementations are now emerging and broad interoperability testing will greatly facilitate its quick adoption by the market.

MailConnect 3 will provide an opportunity for intense intereroperability testing and repair of IMAP4 implementations. As the IMC proceeds with organzing the event, test scenarios will be developed by those planning to attend.

End-to-End Security with S/MIME and PGP/MIME

Mail privacy and authentication are becoming must-have items for corporate messaging. To date, two standards have emerged for end-to-end messaging security: S/MIME and PGP/MIME. Each has its own proponents, and the market has not strongly gravitated towards one or the other.

There has been very little face-to-face testing of either specification. MailConnect 3 will be the first opportunity for many vendors to meet each other and test the interoperability of their software in different modes. Many vendors who have backed one of the two specifications are known to be working on implementing the second specification as well. MailConnect 3 will be an excellent place to do early interoperability testing of these unannounced products.

Activities

Companies Attending

The following companies have paid for registration so far. We expect many more to be announcing their participation soon, with an expected attendance of approximately 10 to 20 companies.

The following table shows what each company has announced that they will test. Some of these companies will test more than one product in each category, and some companies may test products that they have not listed here. Note that many companies will have representation from multiple divisions.

Company IMAP client IMAP server S/MIME agent PGP/MIME agent Other
AT&T Labs          
Control Data X X      
Esys X X   X IMSP client/server
Hewlett-Packard   X     Certificate storage using LDAP
IBM/Lotus X X      
Innosoft   X   X SASL: CRAM-MD5
ISOCOR   X      
MetaInfo   X      
Microsoft X X X    
Qualcomm X X   X  
Netscape X X X    
Software.com   X      
Sun Microsystems X X      
University of Washington X        
Worldtalk   X X    

Discussion List

There is an on-line discussion and coordination list. To subscribe, send a message to imc-mailconnect-request@imc.org with the single word subscribe in the body of the message.

The list is the same list that was used for MailConnects 1 and 2, so the complete archive of the list also has a great deal of discussion on those events.

Pre-Event

Participants are the primary sourece of guidance for event timing, location, and content.

An IMAP Test Plan was developed for MailConnect 1, and was also used for the basis of the coordinated IMAP testing for MailConnect 2. However, comments and suggestions for changed to the test plan are solicited.

Event

Two days of face-to-face testing with a broad base of IMAP4 implementations for clients and servers, as well as a range of S/MIME and PGP/MIME clients and gateways.

During both days, there will be many pull-aside discussions of various protocol and implementation issues relating to IMAP4 and related technologies and future end-to-end security specifications. There is also plenty of time for attendees to meet and get to know their counterparts at other companies so that post-event discussions go more smoothly.

Post-Event

After the face-to-face meeting, IMC will set up a system so that the participants can continue to test their software with each other.

The Event

Schedule

Thursday October 30 and Friday October 31
San Jose Hilton & Towers
San Jose, California USA

The schedule will most likely be:

Thursday October 30 

 8:30 -  9:30 Set up, get acquainted, muffins, fruit, coffee, tea
 9:30 - 12:00 Testing
12:00 -  1:00 Lunch (buffet, served away from the work room)
 1:00 -  5:00 Testing
 5:00 -  5:30 Recap and plan for Thursday
Friday October 31 
 8:30 - 12:00 Testing (muffins, fruit, coffee, tea at 8:30)
12:00 -  1:00 Lunch (buffet, served away from the work room)
 1:00 -  4:00 Testing
 4:00 -  5:00 Review and prepare preliminary report
 5:00 -  6:00 Tear down

Facilities

The San Jose Hilton & Towers is located next to the San Jose Convention Center, in downtown San Jose, approximately 10 minutes from the San Jose airport.

On-site, there will be:

A block of reduced-rate sleeping rooms will be set aside for the event. These are made available by the Hilton on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact the Hilton at +1 408 287 2100 for reservations for this event.

Cost

  After October 15
IMC Corporate Members $2000
Non-members $2500

Registration is per company, which is up to three people and three computers. Additional people for a registered company can attend at a cost is $350 per person. Only technical staff are invited, and marketing staff and press are explicitly excluded in order to create an environment where implementors feel freer to discuss technical details of their software.

Payment can be made by check, credit card (MasterCard, Visa, and American Express), or wire transfer. Personal checks are accepted, and receipts will be given out at the event. Sorry, no purchase orders or invoices accepted for payment.

Please send registration to:

Internet Mail Consortium
127 Segre Place
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Tel: (408) 426-9827
Fax: (408) 426-7301

Be sure to include the number of people you expect to be attending, and the name and address of the primary contact for the group.

Please contact Paul Hoffman at phoffman@imc.org for wire transfer information.

Equipment Shipping

You are, of course, free to simply bring equipment with you. Should you need to ship things to the event:
Ship to:
San Jose Hilton & Towers
Attn: Internet Mail Consortium
Attn: Event date: October 30-31
300 Almaden Blvd.
San Jose, CA 95110 USA
Phone:
(408) 287-2100
On-site pickup:
Equipment will be brought to the room on Wednesday morning.