Its biggest feature is its Lightning calendar, and tasks add-on has finally been completely integrated into the program. The latest version, Thunderbird 78, comes with many minor improvements. Now, Thunderbird, under MZLA, is charting its own course. By May 2017, Mozilla re-committed to the project and active development started again. Nothing came of those suggestions, but Thunderbird's loyal users rallied to the beleaguered program with financial donations. Or, the Document Foundation, LibreOffice's manager. This included the Software Freedom Conservancy, which helps manage the Git, BusyBox, Samba, and Wine open-source projects. In 2016, Mozilla looked at also possible homes for the unwanted e-mail client. In December 2015, she declared Mozilla platform engineers were paying 'tax to support Thunderbird.' She suggested that Thunderbird be spun out for once and for all. Mitchell Baker, Mozilla's chairwoman and CEO, had no love for the project. Mozilla would receive security patches, but that would be it. But, in 2012, Mozilla announced that thanks to a lack of funding it was stopping development on new Thunderbird features.

Its fans kept Thunderbird alive - albeit on life support. Eventually, Thunderbird reintegrated into Mozilla. A standalone e-mail client didn't fit into its plans. Mozilla was then, as now, focusing primarily on Firefox. By 2007, however, Mozilla booted the project out to live or die on its own. It began in 2003 as a spin-off from the all-in-one Mozilla Application Suite. The e-mail client certainly has its fans outside of Mozilla, but, within Mozilla, its history has been rocky.

Still, it's perfectly understandable why people might assume that Thunderbird might have been tossed into the trash can. While a corporation now, the Thunderbird Council continues to steward the project. It is also staying focused on open standards, user privacy, and productive communication. Nevertheless, moving forward, Thunderbird will remain an open-source program.

In this latest incarnation, as a standalone business, Thunderbird can 'collect revenue through partnerships and non-charitable donations' in its own right.

Mozilla thunderbird mail client