"...The result is that Mozilla is launching a new effort to improve email and internet communications. We will increase our investment and focus on our current email client -- Thunderbird -- and on innovations in the email and communications areas. We are doing so by creating a new organization with this as its sole focus and committing resources to this organization.

Mozilla Messaging, a subsidiary of the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation, yesterday patched five bugs in its Thunderbird e-mail client to fix flaws that were disclosed more than a month ago.

"...In July 2007, Baker delivered a call to action soliciting community feedback about the future of Thunderbird. After an active public discussion, the Mozilla Foundation board approved the creation of a distinct new Mozilla Foundation subsidiary dedicated to developing, innovating and improving Internet mail and communication software..."

hot on the heels of Mozilla Lab’s call for participation in exploring the future of the browser, and the experimental Weave service, comes Mozilla’s efforts to move messaging beyond email and to the types of communication now commonplace across social networks, blogs and services such as Twitter.

Mozilla Labs has released a new open source messaging platform prototype called Raindrop. The project offers a powerful Web-based interface for interacting with messaging systems like Skype and e-mail—but installation is not for the faint of heart.

Mozilla Messaging has published a proposed schedule for Thunderbird 3.1, the next release of the popular e-mail client. The organization is refining its development process and could potentially shift towards shorter release cycles and a more incremental approach to development.

Mozilla is a term used in a number of ways in relation to the now-defunct Netscape Communications Corporation and its related application software, including the Mozilla.org group and its successor the Mozilla Foundation.

"Mozilla Messaging today announced the beta launch of SpreadThunderbird.com. Spread Thunderbird is the volunteer-run Mozilla Thunderbird advocacy site where community marketing activities are organized to raise awareness and to promote the adoption of Thunderbird..."

Mozilla Labs developers have revealed project Raindrop, an approach to handling a large number of messages from email and RSS to YouTube and Twitter.