[appsuite-announce] Unveiling the Next Generation: OX App Suite v8 by Open-Xchange

[Open-Xchange App Suite Maintenance Announcements]

Dear Open-Xchange Customers,

with every release of Open-Xchange's products we try to enhance functionality, improve stability, refine the user experience, and make operations easier. This release is no exception, with major updates on all fronts. 

This version of OX App Suite features a significant redesign to the User Interface. This is based on social and scientific research, as well as end user, and customer, feedback. Some of the key features include: 

- New Design Principles
Open-Xchange has adopted new design principle that improve the whole User Experience.

- Dark Mode
Dark Mode has significant benefits including emitting less light which improves better readability in low light environments thus reducing eye strain.

- Themes
Users can now customize the color and theme of their User Interface.

- New Search
The search feature, one of the most frequently used functions in OX App Suite, has been simplified and moved to a prominent position in the top central navigation bar. 

Furthermore, Open-Xchange has adopted Kubernetes as its standard for container orchestration. Containers can provide engineering agility of end-to-end software solutions with the Helm charts contain all the necessary resources to deploy a full OX App Suite Software Subscription to a Kubernetes cluster.

- Frequent small releases (monthly, with Long-Term Support releases planned) reduce operational risk, burden, and quality assurance efforts, allowing for quicker bug fixes.
- Open-Xchange provides images and helm charts that include OS maintenance, automation, and orchestration features that makes operation easier and more efficient.
- Customer feedback has been incorporated into images and helm charts to enhance quality.
- Kubernetes offers greater standardization, streamlined operations, rolling updates, and zero-downtime deployments.


Introducing Online Trainings for OX App Suite v8:

- Open-Xchange is pleased to offer an interactive online training program designed specifically for the new OX App Suite v8 User Interface. It is accessible to all Open-Xchange customers and serves as an excellent starting point for effectively utilizing the latest version of OX App Suite v8: https://www.oxsuccess-training.com/share/course/544d879c-e883-4f4a-b019-dccae8a45412

- Open-Xchange also offers another online training comparing OX App Suite v7 with OX App Suite v8: https://www.oxsuccess-training.com/share/course/4574b8fb-c628-4f71-89a8-c785113577d6


Technical Documentation and Deployment Information:

- Open-Xchange offers a comprehensive and new deployment guide for the initial setup of OX App Suite v8 based on a containerized Kubernetes architecture. The following link provides tooling and documentation information https://documentation.open-xchange.com/appsuite/operation-guides/, and is designed to assist in establishing test environments for App Suite v8 on Kubernetes.

- In addition to the general deployment guide, Open-Xchange offers a specific transition guide for those who are currently running OX App Suite v7 and wish to migrate to OX App Suite v8. It is important to understand that this process is designed as a transition rather than a full-scale migration. In simplified terms, this process involves replacing the OX App Suite 7 virtual machines (VMs) with OX App Suite 8 Pods running on Kubernetes (k8s). During this transition, the middleware will remain connected to the same databases and file stores, and it will continue to use the same IMAP service for the email accounts of the users. For a detailed explanation of this transition process, please refer to the instructions provided at: https://documentation.open-xchange.com/appsuite/operation-guides/transition.html

- To facilitate a comparison with the OX App Suite v7 installation process, please consult the instructions available at: https://documentation.open-xchange.com/appsuite/operation-guides/advanced.html#comparison-with-the-legacy-app-suite-7-installation-procedure


Changelog and Technical Release Notes:

- Open-Xchange is introducing a significant improvement to our release process that aims to improve transparency and communication. Our new Release Notes for OX App Suite v8 represent an important enhancement. These Release Notes include both a concise feature overview and detailed changelogs for each component. You can access the release overviews here: https://documentation.open-xchange.com/appsuite/releases/

- With the introduction of OX App Suite v8, OX App Suite v7 (currently v7.10.6) will transition to Long-Term Support (LTS). Under this arrangement, Open-Xchange will continue to offer bug fixes for Severity 1 and 2 issues, as well as security fixes. However, it's important to note that no new feature updates will be provided, and issues resolved in new releases will not be backported to OX App Suite v7.

- Additionally, we have shipped the following helm chart, which includes various components, OS maintenance, automation, and orchestration:
Open-Xchange App Suite User Interface v8.19.2
Open-Xchange App Suite Middleware v8.19.0

Open-Xchange looks forward to the opportunities that OX App Suite v8 brings to you and your users.

Should you have any questions or require any additional information about OX App Suite or any other Open-Xchange solution, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Best regards,
Your Open-Xchange Team

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Open-Xchange AG, Hohenzollernring 72, 50672 Cologne, District Court Cologne HRB 95366
Managing Board: Andreas Gauger, Dirk Valbert, Frank Hoberg, Stephan Martin
Chairman of the Board: Richard Seibt

European Office:
Open-Xchange GmbH, Olper Huette 5f, D-57462 Olpe, Germany, District Court Siegen, HRB 8718
Managing Director: Manuel Engel

US Office:
Open-Xchange. Inc., 530 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
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