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The SmarterMail Marketplace
Announcement by Derek Curtis - 3/12/2025 at 5:22 PM
Employee Post
Just wanted to drop in a note and let you know we just put out a blog post about a new addition coming with the next SmarterMail release: the SmarterMail Marketplace. It's a way for us to isolate, and highlight, some of the integrations available with SmarterMail, from cloud connectivity options to things like OnlyOffice, Collabora Online, and even eM Client. That means some of these settings will move from the Features card, or other areas, and will be managed and enabled/disabled in one location. Functionality doesn't really change, just the location. For example, if eM Client is disabled, it still doesn't show for domain admins. But if it is, while they request the key from the Domain Marketplace, they manage the key and activations from the current eM Client page, like they do now.

There are a ton of integrations already built in to SmarterMail and our plan is to bring you all many, many more across a variety of categories. The Marketplace will help us showcase them. 

When you get a few minutes, check out The Future of Business Communications.
Derek Curtis
COO
SmarterTools Inc.

38 Replies

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0
I really miss the integration of filecloud!
3
Tim Uzzanti Replied
3/12/2025 at 7:45 PM
Employee Post
Didn't we need to have it integrated to miss it being integrated?  JK :) 

We will put it on the list of future integrations.  Now that we have the Marketplace, we have a team dedicated to integrations and we are looking forward to sharing more of what's to come.  In the future, I would like to have requested integrations available to be voted on so we can prioritize what you and your users want.  We do it internally now and I’m sure we’re not as accurate if it was made available through voting system in our community.    
Tim Uzzanti CEO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com
1
Any detailed info on the Collabora integrations?

We host our own collabora service and integrating into SM has been a long time dream.

Ta
0
Derek Curtis Replied
3/12/2025 at 9:15 PM
Employee Post
Collabora will work almost exactly the same as OnlyOffice: you enter your server details and it’s ready to go. We will have help docs available once the Marketplace is released. 
Derek Curtis COO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com
0
Hey @Derek

Thanks for heads up.

Where do we add the connector to configure the collabora server ?

So we need to be on a specific min version of SM for this functionality?

Ta
0
Derek Curtis Replied
3/13/2025 at 7:01 AM
Employee Post
You will enable and add server parameters in the Marketplace. There will also be a card just as there is now for OnlyOffice. As for versions, we're calling their current APIs, so as long as your version supports those, you should be good. 

EDIT: As an aside, I saw your ticket about this and send off a reply. 
Derek Curtis COO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com
1
Hello ST,

After reading this announcement I have some concerns/questions about it:

- The term "Market" in Market place, does that mean some features that are provided through it will be paying addons ?
- Also will these the features available via this Market Place be separated installable modules, or are they still included in SM "core" (but enable via the market place).
- If these are going to be modules, can people build their own modules and maybe submit them to the Market Place (that's a bit what a market place makes me think of).

For now I'm a bit confused about what it means for the future features added to SM.

Thanks a lot for bringing some light 
Sébastien Riccio System & Network Admin https://swisscenter.com
1
Derek Curtis Replied
3/17/2025 at 5:15 AM
Employee Post
Hi, Sebastien

Regarding paid vs. free options, right now everything that's available is essentially what's already available as an integration in SmarterMail. For example, the cloud storage options (OneDrive, GDrive, etc.), eM Client, SmarterMail File Storage, SmarterMail Chat, etc. Other things are available that you, as the administrator, can make available such as OnlyOffice, and, soon, other options like Collabora Online, Rocket.Chat, and others. So these are all "free" in that you won't be paying SmarterTools for anything, but there may be costs on your end to get things set up. That said, the Marketplace is flexible enough for paid options, whether those are paid for by you directly to the integration partner or paid for through SmarterTools via partnership. 

Some items are part of SM "Core". As mentioned, SmarterMail File Storage, SmarterMail Chat, etc. Others are separate modules you install and manage, like OnlyOffice. 

As for custom modules or integrations, never say never. For now, these are integrations we're building and making available to users. 
Derek Curtis COO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com
2
We need integration with teams in outlook and collaboration on files to compete with 365.

Working on a shared doc simultaneously....

Thats what we need.

Groups to automatically appear in outlook when joining a new account.

Not a marketplace for all kinds of unsupported 3rd party applications.... :)
1
I think SM is on the right track.
SM should mainly be a mail server, as an alternative to Exchange.
It is certainly not the future to rely on Outlook, so the right way is to look for alternatives such as emClient.
The SM File Storage is certainly a nice to have, but not comparable to the real Sharepoint/Onedrive alternatives. It certainly never will be, as the development is enormous.

Like e.g.
- own app for iOS/Android incl. scan app
- own desktop application for WIN/MAC/Linux
- Locking files on/offline to reduce overlapping when editing
- Offline availability on end devices
- Extended sharing authorizations (guests, user groups, etc.)
- Browser extension for fast upload/donwload
- Own document viewer with extended document protection (save, print, allow/prohibit editing)
- Digitally sign documents
- Direct integration of MS Teams 
- Direct integration of MS 365 or OnlyOffice for file editing
- and much more

By integrating such extensions via the providers' API, SM becomes a well-rounded solution and a real alternative to MS 365 and even better!
1
You need OnPrem Office to be an alternative.... due to GDPR issues we are discouraged to use Office365 here i Europe.
2
I know exactly what the problem is. I am from Germany. 
I have been a Microsoft partner for 25 years now and have followed the whole development of Exchange and the rest of the MS products. 
In my opinion, the best thing to do is to try to become completely independent of MS.
We have tested many alternatives on the market in recent years and have come to the conclusion that it is best not to use an all-in-one solution, but to rely on different manufacturers.
0
You cant when the defacto std. is Microsoft Office.

You need an alternative that can do the exact same thing that MS can but its not MS.

Only then will you be moving customers.

We need an alternative here in Europe to MS365 and the forced exchange of data with the US.
0
Would like to see integration with Ringotel Softphone app. It integrates with SIP servers, but also has strong API integration capabilities. They have integrations with SMS/MMS providers, CRM suites, Google contacts, M365 contacts, Jitsi SaaS, custom webhooks, etc. It also has a place for custom url hotlinks inside the app for end users to use.

I would like to see online meeting and contacts especially.
1
Derek Curtis Replied
3/18/2025 at 9:38 AM
Employee Post
Thanks for the suggestion, Barry!
Derek Curtis COO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com
0
Hello
We need to study the product before implementing, how do we hide the marketplace from the domain admin?
0
I just started playing with it. If I disable all the integrations, it looks like you can disable all the integrations, then in a test domain enable what you'd like.
0
Disable ok, but I want to hide the Marketplace
2
What I found is if you turn everything off, users won't see the marketplace at all, domain admins can, but all they can do is see it. Seems inconsistent to me. If "allow domain admins to override" is off, the domain admins shouldn't have the menu choice.
5
I'm going to throw my vote in with 3rd party integration as a priority. I think trying to compete directly with MS365 / exchange feature to feature is a recipe for disaster, given MS as a multi-billion $$ development budget and an incredibly LARGE user base, with features that everyone is already used to.

Their weakness is 3rd party integration, so for ST to be a viable alternative in a lot of cases 3rd party integrations of any type should be considered. And i think, at some point, allowing individual developers to add their own 3rd party "apps" to the market would be a great selling feature, and would take a lot of development load of ST to focus on just the core products.
0
Very cool, looking forward to this gaining some traction and having more options to choose from. Anything we can do to get away from the cloud only big data privacy invasive options is a plus.

I see in the docs it says "ChatGPT" as an app to install. I suspect it should be called "OpenAI" integration since you can select which model to use. "Chat GPT" is their product that interacts with the models available from Open AI. If it works with the standard api endpoints, administrators could also integrate with LiteLLM to proxy whatever AI providers they want (including privately with Ollama).
0
Hello
Will there be a possibility to write plugins yourself (e.g. trigger webhooks, trigger a jabber call via tapi interface etc ?
1
Where is the config card for ChatGPT hiding? i can enable the option under the domain admin, have it show under the user marketplace, but i cannot find the spot to configure the modal & API Key per the help file - help.smartertools.com/SmarterMail/Current/Topics/Marketplace/AI_Integration/chatgpt 
no modal box appears, and when i click on ChatGPT under the AI Intefration all i get is a 'Settings managed by an administrator." am i missing something?
0
Yu have to login as Domain Admin -> More -> Domain Marketplace -> then click on ChatGPT.

However for me it just trows errors like this:


... Error logs gave me the hint, the account from the collegue who gave me the api key does not have a valid subscription so no tokens. (the error could be more indicating).
0
What if You are the administrator? :) 
Sébastien Riccio System & Network Admin https://swisscenter.com
0
Derek Curtis Replied
3/25/2025 at 7:07 AM
Employee Post
Jerry - you're seeing that because the system administrator has disabled "Allow domain administrators to override". You'll need to have that enabled for your domain in order for you enable ChatGPT and set the Model and API key. You, then, can allow users to change their settings to use their own Model and API Key if you want.

Daniel - I'll open a ticket for you on this. Also, regarding building your own integrations, we've discussed it but, at this time, any integrations available will be built by us. 
Derek Curtis COO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com
1
I did an edit ... as it was interface related ( between the display an the chair)


[2025.03.25] 08:42:10.367 [OpenAI] Error getting AI response for user XXXX Exception: HTTP 429 (insufficient_quota: insufficient_quota)
[2025.03.25] You exceeded your current quota, please check your plan and billing details. For more information on this error, read the docs: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/error-codes/api-errors. HTTP 429 (insufficient_quota: insufficient_quota)
[2025.03.25] You exceeded your current quota, please check your plan and billing details. For more information on this error, read the docs: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/error-codes/api-errors.
[2025.03.25]    at OpenAI.ClientPipelineExtensions.ProcessMessageAsync(ClientPipeline pipeline, PipelineMessage message, RequestOptions options)
[2025.03.25]    at OpenAI.Chat.ChatClient.CompleteChatAsync(BinaryContent content, RequestOptions options)
[2025.03.25]    at OpenAI.Chat.ChatClient.CompleteChatAsync(IEnumerable`1 messages, ChatCompletionOptions options, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
[2025.03.25]    at OpenAI.Chat.ChatClient.CompleteChatAsync(ChatMessage[] messages)
[2025.03.25]    at SmarterMail.MailService.Utility.OpenAIMiddleware.GetChatResponseAsync(String text, String modelName, String token)
[2025.03.25]    at SmarterMail.MailService.Utility.OpenAIMiddleware.GetAiResponseAsync(String text, UserData user) 


The collegue gave me the answer that he has no subscription :-p
5
We agree with Brian about the increasing difficulties competing with MS 365.  We just lost a very large (well into 6-figures annually) client to 365.  The bean counters got tired of accounting separately for Office licenses, email service, Zoom and Zoom Room subscriptions... and 3 years of MAPI sync problems & bugs added friction which ultimately led to their C-suite having "golf course" and "dinner" conversations with other C-suite types about alternatives.  All gave glowing endorsements of 365 and encouraged our client to do the same.  So they finally finally listened to their peers and jumped.  

There was NO way we could compete with all the apps and native integrations bundled into their in MS 365 plans.
 
0
Jerry - you're seeing that because the system administrator has disabled "Allow domain administrators to override". You'll need to have that enabled for your domain in order for you enable ChatGPT and set the Model and API key. You, then, can allow users to change their settings to use their own Model and API Key if you want.
I had the same frustration. I'm logged in as or impersonating an admin and it says it's disabled. It's not obvious where the server wide or account-wide settings are. Do they even exist? It seems like I wasn't able to do anything until that check box was enabled. But... what exactly are we overriding? Where are the server-wide settings for "chatgpt"? 
1
@Jay Dubb

Yeah. Only thing we can offer is compliance with #GDPR. Everything else is not an option unless you use webmail and who does....

We need the marketplace options as a part of MAPI/integration with outlook as plugins/native apps.
1
Where do I find the marketplace?
Is it in 9182?
Dont see anything as system admin or domain admin.
Nothing comes up in when I search help for the word marketplace?
0
It's new with 9210
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@Patrick
LOL, I check the release notes twice already but didnt see it there but its in the first line.    I must have been a sleep. 

Thanks Patrick. 
0
One question .. SmarterMail Chat is XMPP?
0
Derek Curtis Replied
3/27/2025 at 6:53 AM
Employee Post
Hi, Jack. Yeah, SmarterMail Chat uses XMPP. 
Derek Curtis COO SmarterTools Inc. www.smartertools.com
0
@Brian Bjerring-Jensen  said : "You need an alternative that can do the exact same thing that MS can but its not MS."

If you are not familiar with it, look at LibreOffice. 
We switched to (originally) Open Office about 18 years ago, and are now using LibreOffice. It will do all the same that MS Office does and its free. The exception is email and we use SmarterMail for email.
LibreOffice will open MS Office docs, and also has a vector drawing app like MS publisher, we use it for all of our flyers, brochures and building floor plans for when we are doping cabling. Works similar to a CAD program too with dimensional lines.
I personally have not touched MS office in about 15 years now, and we are switching many of our non profit clients over to LibreOffice as well.
www.HawaiianHope.org - Providing technology services to non profit organizations, low income families, homeless shelters, clean and sober houses and prisoner reentry programs. Since 2015, We have refurbished over 11,000 Computers !
4
The killer apps driving people to 365 seem to be Sharepoint and Teams.  Sharepoint used to be nasty but it's gotten to be pretty good actually, and Teams is quickly becoming the Swiss Army Knife for many companies because it's fully integrated into so much of the 365 stack.  You can work in your own OneDrive space AND Sharepoint, all from within Teams, and VOIP providers (like Ring Central) snap right into Teams like it belongs there.  It's one app people use all day long for nearly everything.

That is nearly impossible to compete with, and it's what all the consultants are pushing because they make a TON of money performing the integrations, customizations and migrations.  We've seen a few clients spend north of $50,000 to consultants for setup/migration labor, and one went well above $150k for a bunch of customizations.  

I appreciate what SmarterTools is developing, but Microsoft has a huge head start and we seriously hate having to compete with them.
 
2
Libreoffice is not an option in many places since MS Office is defacto standard in many organisations.

Maybe it works for NGO's and schoolkids, but you cant ask a company to turn its back on MS Office, let alone 365 unless you have an alternative that can do the same or more.

You dont trade in your car for something worse.... that has less performance, convenience or security.

You just dont. And I dont want to try to sell that.

If I sell an exchange alternative, people expect to have full Exchange functionality and they dont.

They expect to have things integrated like MS365 and not having to manually transfer meetings and calls to Teams and whatever.
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