Mozilla conisders dropping Thunderbird to concentrate on Firefox

Fly free Thunderbird, fly

27 July 2007 14:54 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Via a blog entry, Mozilla's CEO, Mitchell Baker, has announced that Mozilla's email client, Thunderbird is to be let go from the Mozilla family though a "new, separate organizational setting".

This is so that the Mozilla Foundation can focus even more on Firefox, their open-source web browser:

"Mozilla doesn't focus on Thunderbird as much as we do browsing and Firefox and we don't expect this to change in the foreseeable future."

Three options are outlined for the future of Thunderbird. To create a sub-company for the email service with Mozilla, to create an entirely new non-profit company or to turn it loose to the world as a community project.

Baker has opened the discussion about what should happen to Thunderbird to all and asked for input:

"Believe that Thunderbird provides a much-needed option for open source email alternatives and want to see it get more attention on its own? Long to see something more innovative than Thunderbird in the mail space happen? So does Mozilla."

"Are you someone who could contribute to such an effort? Do you have expertise and a desire to be involved in an innovative mail effort and / or a focused Thunderbird effort? If so, Mozilla would like to hear from you."

Find out more via the link to the blog below.