Mozilla reintegrates Messaging

Mitchell Baker, chair of the Mozilla Foundation, has announced that Mozilla Messaging, a subsidiary created in 2008 to manage the development of Thunderbird, and other user to user communication tools such as Raindrop messaging client and F1 social sharing, is to be absorbed into Mozilla Labs.

There is currently a team within Mozilla Labs which works on identity and contact management; the Mozilla Messaging group will be merged with this team. The new "innovation group" within Labs will be lead by current Messaging head David Ascher and focus on "online communications and social interactions on the Web".

The Mozilla Messaging's Thunderbird team will also be part of the merger and Baker says they will continue to develop and release the Thunderbird email client from within their new home in Mozilla Labs. "Email is a solid and foundational technology which retains immense value", Baker wrote, adding, "We intend to continue our work with the Thunderbird email product to meet this need", and assuring users of Thunderbird and contributors to the project that they should see no difference.

Once the merger is complete, Mozilla will dissolve Mozilla Messaging and say goodbye to Marten Mickos and Christopher Beard who have served with Ascher on the subsidiary's board of directors. The reorganisation will simplify the browser makers' management structure and, according to Baker, will see Mozilla putting a "more concentrated focus on our efforts", in the field of online communications and social interaction.

(djwm)