OT:Exchange good? - And the flame wars begin (Was:Re: new hotness?)

[Stephen P Rufle]

Would it be fair to say that MS keeps just enough of exchange or its
communication methods secret so that it is hard for others (OSS
projects) to create the same seamless integration available using the MS
native programs without buying a license for the secret technology .

It seems that the $1500 price makes it a great short term investment.
Then there is a constant pull to just use a ms solution because it plugs
in nicely.I see that as being what grates on folks.

Sort of related I heard that upcoming Samba 4 will be able to act as an
AD server will that continue to help with penetration into the
enterprise market?