Qualcomm, the developer of veteran e-mail application Eudora, has released the latest Mac version of the application and also confirmed plans to develop its software on an open-source basis from mid-2007.The company last night confirmed a relationship with Firefox developer the Mozilla Foundation. It also announced that future versions of Eudora will be based upon the same technology platform as the open-source Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail application.This means future versions of Eudora will be free and open source, but they will retain Eudora’s features and productivity power. The open-source version of Eudora should ship during the first half of 2007.Qualcomm and Mozilla will each participate in, and continue to encourage development communities based around the open-source Mozilla project, with a “view to enhancing the capabilities and ease of use of both Eudora and Thunderbird,” the firms said in a statement. The final commercial versions of the current Eudora products for Windows and Mac have also been released. Once the open-source version ships next year, Qualcomm will cease selling Eudora commercially. Meanwhile, the software costs US$19.95.Existing technical support commitments will be honored in their entirety. “I’m excited for Eudora to be returning to the open-source community,” said Steve Dorner, vice president of technology for Qualcomm’s Eudora Group. “Using the Mozilla Thunderbird technology platform as a basis for future versions of Eudora will provide some key infrastructure that the existing versions lacked, such as a cross-platform code base and a world-class display engine. Making it open source will bring more developers to bear on Eudora than ever before.”“We’re pleased to welcome Eudora and its millions of users to the world of open source,” said Frank Hecker, executive director of the Mozilla Foundation. “This effort should further enrich the Thunderbird technology platform and provide users of both products with an even richer e-mail experience.”-Jonny Evans, Macworld.co.ukRelated Links: Sophos Releases SMB Protection for Macs Run Windows Apps on Macs Sans WindowsCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe