Mozilla, which had hoped its Thunderbird e-mail software would rise to financial self-sufficiency like its better-known Firefox project, unveiled a Plan B yesterday that instead increases the organization's focus on other communication technology.
The Thunderbird group, called Mozilla Messaging, will become part of Mozilla Labs--a research center rather than a profit center--and lose its official name. David Ascher, who has led the Mozilla Messaging group, "now will lead a new innovation group within Mozilla Labs focused on online communications and social interactions on the Web," said Mitchell Baker, chair of the Mozilla Foundation, in a blog post yesterday.
Mozilla will continue to develop Thunderbird under the new organization, but Baker made it clear that the vanguard of online communications is on the Web, not standalone e-mail software.
More: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20050717-264.html
The Thunderbird group, called Mozilla Messaging, will become part of Mozilla Labs--a research center rather than a profit center--and lose its official name. David Ascher, who has led the Mozilla Messaging group, "now will lead a new innovation group within Mozilla Labs focused on online communications and social interactions on the Web," said Mitchell Baker, chair of the Mozilla Foundation, in a blog post yesterday.
Mozilla will continue to develop Thunderbird under the new organization, but Baker made it clear that the vanguard of online communications is on the Web, not standalone e-mail software.
More: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20050717-264.html