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There's a little room for Documents to improve, though. One thing you can't do with them is save docs to your desktop. There's no check-in, check-out system and no way to take documents with you, which is a nuisance. There's also no file manager view and no versioning system, which would let you see when changes were made and even roll back to a previous version.

A representative told us that the product was actually in beta, something not mentioned on the site or in the press release, and that there might be changes in the gold version when it's released in a couple weeks.

To get information into your Zimbra suite quickly, use the new Zimbra Assistant. Call up this pop-up helper by pressing a hot key, then begin entering the contact, appointment, or note that you want to save. Don't worry about formatting, the assistant figures it out.

The Zimbra suite includes a collection of helpful mini-apps called Zimlets, and with this release more useful Zimlets have been added. There are now ones that access Google's translation engine, check flight and travel info, send SMS messages, and subscribe to RSS feeds. Zimlets are accessible from any Zimbra page and are as easy as they are useful.

Zimbra has also announced the release of Zimbra Mobile, which lets remote workers plug into the company Zimbra system using most popular smartphones, including the Motorola Q, Nokia E series phones, those running the Symbian OS, Palm models, and Windows Mobile devices.

The BlackBerry can also connect, but only with the help of a third party add-on. By using Zimbra Mobile, workers can get access Zimbra e-mail, calendar, and contact information anywhere.

The standard Zimbra package starts at $18 per user per year, while the advanced package starts at $28 per user per year. There's an open source version, but that doesn't include technical support. The company offers a 60-day trial, so if you're looking for an instant collaboration system for your intranet, give Zimbra a try.

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