Mozilla’s revitalized focus on mail and Internet communications takes flight today with the launch of Mozilla Messaging, Inc. Mozilla Messaging is a new Mozilla organization focused on email and Internet communications. Its first area of focus is Mozilla Thunderbird, bringing new features such as integrated calendaring as well as new attention to community development and involvement. We expect Mozilla Messaging to develop a broader scope as well, providing experimentation, innovation and improvements in various forms of Internet-based communications.
Mozilla Messaging grows out of Mozilla’s long involvement with email. It is firmly rooted in the traits which make Mozilla unusual and effective. Mozilla Messaging lives within the umbrella of the Mozilla Foundation. (Technically, it is a wholly owned subsidiary, a sister organization to the Mozilla Corporation.) It exists to advance the Mozilla Foundation’s public-benefit mission and promote the Mozilla Manifesto. It’s an open source organization that uses the organizational principles and tools of the Mozilla project.
The decision to create a separate organization for Thunderbird and messaging was made last fall. During the summer we had a vigorous public discussion about how to make Thunderbird and Mozilla’s messaging efforts stronger, more innovative and involve more people. As a result of these discussions we found an excellent organizational leader for these efforts in David Ascher. In September we announced the decision to form a new Mozilla organization to focus on these goals.
Today the organization comes to life. Mozilla Messaging has a small set of employees, both to do great things themselves and to serve as catalysts and scaffolding for a broad-based community effort. It has a high level roadmap for Thunderbird. It’s got an organizational leader with a long background in both mail and Mozilla technologies. It’s got millions of users who care vigorously about Thunderbird and mail. It’s looking at an enormous and fundamental aspect of our online lives. It’s got great challenges, great responsibility and even greater potential.
I’m personally thrilled to see this happen. I am exceedingly eager to stop thinking so much about how to organize the Thunderbird / mail effort and to start seeing all that energy go to improving our product. That day has come. We have the tools to make email much, much better. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating. And then join the Mozilla Messaging effort and help make interesting things happen.