GFI puts Eloquens AI email assistant inside self-hosted KerioConnect

October 13, 2026, 06:15Source: PR Newswire

GFI Software has built Eloquens AI, an AI email assistant, directly into GFI KerioConnect, the mail and collaboration server used by more than 30,000 organizations. According to GFI, customers that run their own mail can now get AI help without moving to Microsoft or Google.

Key points

GFI Software has built Eloquens AI directly into GFI KerioConnect, which is deployed by more than 30,000 organizations.
The assistant sorts mail, labels messages needing decisions and drafts replies in the user's own voice, according to GFI.
It works in KerioConnect webmail, the desktop client and Microsoft Outlook.
Administrators must enable it, choose which mailboxes get it and can turn it off at any time; mail stays on the customer's server.
It is available now for version 10.0.9-10757 or later, with a 30-day free trial.

What GFI announced

GFI Software, which describes itself as a global leader in AI-powered security and communications solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), said Eloquens AI is now built into GFI KerioConnect. CEO Eric Vaughan announced the integration in his keynote at ZEBR.AI Roadshow Praha 2026 in Prague. The location was chosen deliberately: Kerio was founded in the Czech Republic in 1997.

Eloquens AI is an AI email automation platform created in 2024 by IgniteTech, which the release calls GFI's sister company. According to the announcement, it is available now to GFI KerioConnect customers running version 10.0.9-10757 or later.

GFI frames the move as a response to a gap in the market. The company says AI email assistants such as Microsoft 365 Copilot and Gmail's Gemini were built for organizations that had already moved their mail to someone else's cloud. Many KerioConnect customers, it says, run their own mail on purpose, to control their data, meet regulations or keep costs down.

"Since the start of the GenAI revolution, AI in email came with a hidden price tag: move your mail to Microsoft or Google first," said Vaughan, who is CEO of GFI Software and IgniteTech.

How the assistant handles mail

According to GFI, Eloquens AI acts within minutes of a message arriving and sorts incoming mail into different paths:

Notifications and newsletters move to a No Reply Needed folder.
Messages that need a decision stay in the inbox and are clearly labeled.
Routine questions get a reply waiting in Drafts, written in the user's own voice and ready to review and send.

GFI says every decision comes with its reasoning, so users can act faster and with more confidence. The assistant works in GFI KerioConnect webmail, the desktop client and Microsoft Outlook.

Administrator control and trial

The assistant is off by default. An administrator has to switch it on from the GFI KerioConnect administration console. GFI says mail stays on the customer's own server, administrators choose exactly which mailboxes get the assistant, and the feature can be turned off at any time.

A 30-day free trial starts with one click, with no sales call or setup, according to the company.

Managed service providers (MSPs) can also use the feature. GFI describes it as a new service they can offer every customer from the console they already use. Zdeněk Bínek, CEO of ZEBR.AI, a distributor that has worked with GFI for more than 15 years, said the product gives partners "something new to offer tomorrow morning, on servers they already manage."

What it means for self-hosted mail

The announcement targets organizations that have kept mail on their own servers for security, privacy, regulatory or cost reasons. For them, GFI says, AI assistance no longer depends on a move to a major cloud provider. Because the feature is opt-in, controlled per mailbox and reversible, administrators can test it on a limited group before deciding on wider use.

The release does not give pricing beyond the free trial period, so the cost of continued use is not stated.