Hello everyone,
We are living through a period that is both sad and exciting, I think.
It has been more than 10 years since I first got to know the Efa project. For a long time, about 3–4 years, I worked with Efa version 4 and gained relative expertise. Later, I got to know ConfigServer MSFE. Since it had almost the same features, I have been using it for about 5 years now.
Until a few months ago, everything was going well, but then ConfigServer announced its closure and that they would no longer distribute even their free products. Naturally, I was a bit upset, but I kept thinking that the Efa project is already better than MSFE and I could switch without problems, and even contribute to its development myself.
While browsing the Efa project website, I saw that a decision had been made to discontinue the project. That’s when I started feeling stressed.
After that, I examined all the systems available in the market, installed and tested them, but none really satisfied me.
When the Open Efa project was announced, it gave me hope. It looks impressive visually, and I installed it a few times. I faced some issues during installation, and even with my latest installation, there were still some problems, but it seems promising, although it is still very new. I plan to observe it with some trial users for a while, which will also give me a chance to study its structure in detail.
In the approximately three weeks of my review:
It looks very nice; the menus are simple and clear, which is great.
There still seem to be some issues with the installation. I was able to complete it successfully on my fourth attempt, which concerned me a bit.
Another concern is the commercial side of the project. To survive, there must be a business model. Will this affect free users deeply or push them to pay?
Overall, it is very new, I like it a lot, and I am following it closely. I will try to support it as much as I can.
Best regards and good luck.
Greetings from the BC era, straight from the stone age of the internet!
-
adrastosefa
- Site Admin
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2025 5:14 am
- Location: Las Vegas
- Has thanked: 5 times
- Been thanked: 15 times
- Contact:
Re: Greetings from the BC era, straight from the stone age of the internet!
Welcome to the community — and thank you for such a thoughtful introduction.
It’s great to have someone with your background here. Your long history with EFA v4 and MSFE brings exactly the kind of experience and perspective that strengthens this project. You’re right that this is a transitional moment in the email-security world, and it’s encouraging to see people like you stepping forward to help shape what comes next.
I also want to address some of the concerns you mentioned. While OpenEFA is new as a public project, development actually began back in April of last year, and we’ve been running it in our own production environment for many months. That early internal usage has helped us catch a lot of real-world issues before releasing updates, but of course the installer and bootstrap logic still needed refinement — which is exactly what this upcoming release focuses on.
I’m hoping to publish the new version tomorrow, and it includes:
Significant installer improvements — more consistent package resolution, better service sequencing, and clearer error messages.
The first components of the EFA Collective, a shared intelligence layer that enhances detection accuracy across participating nodes.
Improved AI-driven filtering, using our internal model ensemble (no external APIs required).
UI and diagnostic enhancements that make troubleshooting much easier for admins.
Regarding your question about long-term sustainability: absolutely fair, and something we’ve been planning carefully. The core OpenEFA platform will remain free and open, but we are introducing:
A partner program for MSPs, integrators, and resellers.
Optional hosted OpenEFA Cloud services, designed for users who prefer not to run their own appliance.
Support plans for businesses that want guaranteed response SLAs.
Reasonably priced add-on modules that extend functionality without limiting the free version.
The goal is to create a healthy ecosystem — one where the free community version remains strong, while additional services provide the revenue necessary to keep development moving for the long term.
Your willingness to test, observe, and contribute is incredibly valuable at this stage. OpenEFA is already benefiting from community feedback like yours, and I’m excited to have you involved as we continue building and refining it.
Thank you again for joining us — and welcome. If you encounter anything during your testing, please don’t hesitate to share it. Together, we’re building something truly meaningful.
It’s great to have someone with your background here. Your long history with EFA v4 and MSFE brings exactly the kind of experience and perspective that strengthens this project. You’re right that this is a transitional moment in the email-security world, and it’s encouraging to see people like you stepping forward to help shape what comes next.
I also want to address some of the concerns you mentioned. While OpenEFA is new as a public project, development actually began back in April of last year, and we’ve been running it in our own production environment for many months. That early internal usage has helped us catch a lot of real-world issues before releasing updates, but of course the installer and bootstrap logic still needed refinement — which is exactly what this upcoming release focuses on.
I’m hoping to publish the new version tomorrow, and it includes:
Significant installer improvements — more consistent package resolution, better service sequencing, and clearer error messages.
The first components of the EFA Collective, a shared intelligence layer that enhances detection accuracy across participating nodes.
Improved AI-driven filtering, using our internal model ensemble (no external APIs required).
UI and diagnostic enhancements that make troubleshooting much easier for admins.
Regarding your question about long-term sustainability: absolutely fair, and something we’ve been planning carefully. The core OpenEFA platform will remain free and open, but we are introducing:
A partner program for MSPs, integrators, and resellers.
Optional hosted OpenEFA Cloud services, designed for users who prefer not to run their own appliance.
Support plans for businesses that want guaranteed response SLAs.
Reasonably priced add-on modules that extend functionality without limiting the free version.
The goal is to create a healthy ecosystem — one where the free community version remains strong, while additional services provide the revenue necessary to keep development moving for the long term.
Your willingness to test, observe, and contribute is incredibly valuable at this stage. OpenEFA is already benefiting from community feedback like yours, and I’m excited to have you involved as we continue building and refining it.
Thank you again for joining us — and welcome. If you encounter anything during your testing, please don’t hesitate to share it. Together, we’re building something truly meaningful.