Mozilla Thunderbird is working on a competitive offering for mail services from Google and Microsoft. Under the names Thundermail and Thunderbird Pro Services, a complete ecosystem will be created, which will remain based on open-source code.
Mozilla Thunderbird is developing two new projects, Thundermail and Thunderbird Pro. Both solutions will be web services, based on open-source technology but aimed at a larger audience that can appreciate a finished ecosystem.
Ryan Sipes, Managing Director for Project Thunderbird, sees how the Thunderbird mail client is losing users day by day to rich ecosystems where client and service are combined. He refers to Google and Microsoft, with Gmail and Microsoft 365 respectively. Both solutions combine mail and email addresses with tools to send emails. Thunderbird is only a client (like Outlook), which you need to link to an email address from an external provider (like @outlook.com).
A new offering of coordinated services, accessible via the web, should change this. This means that Thunderbird itself will provide the back-end infrastructure. Servers and storage cost money, so the future offering will consist of a variety of limited free entry-level options and paid more extensive subscriptions.
Four Components
Sipes has four projects in mind, one of which is infused with AI: Thunderbird Appointment, Thunderbird Send, Thunderbird Assist, and Thundermail.
- Thunderbird Appointment: this tool allows users to send a link to a contact. Through this link, the recipient can then choose a moment in the sender’s calendar to schedule a meeting.
- Thunderbird Send: This solution is a new iteration of Firefox Send. Users can use the tool to share files with each other.
- Thunderbird Assist: This is an AI tool. Through a collaboration with Flower AI, the goal is to integrate AI capabilities, ideally using computing power on users’ own devices. There will also be an option to run AI functionality via confidential compute on Nvidia hardware in the cloud. Sipes points out that this will always remain optional.
- Thundermail: With Thundermail, Thunderbird wants to compete directly with Gmail and Microsoft 365. Users get an email address and a client to read and send emails. It goes without saying that Thundermail will be compatible with Thunderbird. The service will work with the domains Tundermail.com or tb.pro.
All aspects of the new services will be built on open-source code. For Thundermail, Sipes is looking at the Stalwart software stack.
“I’m convinced that all of this should have been part of the Thunderbird universe ten years ago,” Sipes adds about the plans. “But better late than never. Just like our Android client has expanded what Thunderbird is (as will our iOS client), these services will do the same.”
When the vision will become reality, or what the prices will be, is unclear. Those interested can already sign up for a beta via Thundermail.com.
Interesting Alternative
The vision is interesting, as Thunderbird and Mozilla can appeal to a larger audience with the services. The fact that they are built on open source should increase transparency. For true purists who want to host everything themselves, the planned offering is less interesting. The question is to what extent users are interested in choosing an alternative from Mozilla over Gmail or Microsoft 365. The plans do appear at a time when more and more people are questioning the dominance of tech giants.