Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox browser, is rethinking its open-source email client Thunderbird by building a comprehensive communications platform. This initiative includes new services under the Storm Bird ecosystem, aiming to provide an alternative to commercial platforms like Google Gmail and Microsoft Office 365.
Ryan Sipes, managing director of Thunderbird products, explained the reasoning behind this move: “These ecosystems have both hard lock-in (due to interaction difficulties with third-party clients) and soft lock-in (due to convenience and integration between clients and services). Our goal is to eventually implement a similar offer, so that everyone who wants it can have a 100% open, freedom-respecting ecosystem.”
New Thunderbird Services and Features
Mozilla is developing a set of web services to enhance Thunderbird’s functionality:
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Thunderbird Appointment – A scheduling tool that allows users to share links for booking time slots in their calendar.
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Thunderbird Send – A revamped version of the now-closed Firefox Send service, designed for secure file sharing.
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Thunderbird Assist – An AI-powered assistant that can run locally or on Flower Labs’ resources.
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Thundermail – A mail service based on Stalwart, supporting JMAP (JSON Meta Application Protocol) as a successor to IMAP.
Mozilla does not see technical barriers to implementing end-to-end encryption for emails but is taking a cautious approach, NIXsolutions. Since encryption is partly handled on the client side, the company plans to consult the community to determine the best approach. Currently, test data is stored in the EU, but in the future, users may be able to choose their preferred data storage jurisdiction.
Thunderbird’s Business Model and Future Plans
Maintaining these services will require significant investment, and some may require user payments. This will also help Mozilla offset losses from a potential termination of its contract with Google, which could be affected by U.S. antitrust regulations. However, users will have the option to host some services, such as Appointment and Send, on their own servers.
As Thunderbird continues to evolve, Mozilla aims to provide an open and flexible ecosystem for users. We’ll keep you updated on further developments and new integrations as they become available.