Slate - ibm_workplace

Where are the Case Studies?

noreply@blogspirit.com (Subhan SATOPAY) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 12:15:00 +0400

I wanted to check some stuff on IBM Workplace implementations (WSE/ WCS/ whatever) but haven't found any suitable link. IBM do have a large case study database, but the one from Lotus site does not include any category for IBM Workplace. The main Workplace page does not have any links for Case Studies. Or is it that they don't have any yet? But its seems so long we have been hearing IBM Workplace story.

Yes I did find this link @ IBM which shows some cases studies but they are for Content Management (LWCMS) and from years when IBM Workplace was used to be called Lotus Workplace. No stories on WSE or WCS here.

In Search of a Notes Killer-App

noreply@blogspirit.com (Subhan SATOPAY) — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 15:55:00 +0400

M$ has never understood Collaboration or Workflow. For years it has been trying to build these capabilities in its various flagship products. In past we had heard about Exchange enabled Workflow, but this was a mess. Then came Sharepoint but they are not nothing more than IBM QuickPlace-like document sharing.

Today we had an M$ Consultant who was every eager to show a POC of Sharepoint-based Workflow (we are in midst of migration (: And being gung-ho, he asked for the most complex one. I gave him a 4-sheet printout of our Lotus Workflow based process which has some 60+ activities. I would be exagarating if I say "He fainted" but thats best I can describe his state then.

Though he admitted this cannot be done in Sharepoint, but still describing it as the best collaborative platform, with check-in/check-out and document routing. (wow, now dats definitely collaboration...LOL)

Now it looks like M$ is beefing up BizTalk's "Human Workflow Services" which remindes me of Lotus "Super Human Software" campaign for R5. The planned release of BizTalk is code named V-Next, i guess a pun on RNext, the beta for Lotus Notes Release 6.

And the words are out that the same BizTalk team is building Windows Workflow Services, and you bet it would definitely provide Check-in/Check-out collaboration.

Overheard conversation

noreply@blogspirit.com (Subhan SATOPAY) — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 11:15:00 +0400

I dont have this vice, but we have this open office and one cannot help but get to hear some comments.

Below is the conversation of two executives:-

Exec1: Its useful and works, but its not User friendly
Exec2: Yeah, its an IBM Product not Microsoft.

Its no easy task for IBM to change this perception. Though a lot many clients have been lost for this very reason. A great deal of Marketing efforts plus some real useful work on Usability of Products is needed. Microsoft is way ahead in User Interface experience and Usability which makes their product across all the segments intuitive and consistent, thus setting up a standard for end-user experiences.

IBM Workplace, if it needs to quickly catchup with the competitor, should not try to create new Standards, as this will again mean a high learning curve for the end-users and will set the same perception for their new & upcoming products.

Using Eclipse is a good strategy as this will atleast make all IBM products consistent. But the RCP itself should adhere to native OS look & feel.

Hannover - Reviving Lotus Notes

noreply@blogspirit.com (Subhan SATOPAY) — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 15:40:00 +0400

Last week announcement of Hannover - the version 8 of Lotus Notes, @ Edbrill.com has been widely appreciated by the bloggers.
This release would be a major revamp of the software to provide a paradigm shift in Collaboration & Messaging Software domain. Hannover is intended to push IBM's Activity centric collaboration model. Which is quite different from the current email/inbox and related but unconnected documents that resides in multiple Lotus NSF Databases.
IBM has also taken this opportunity to provide a highly modern look for the Software which is something the Lotus community has been missing for long.

This step from IBM for one is to halt any migration away from Lotus for usability reasons. In many such migration cases, Users have cited Lotus Notes as begin a non-standard client, primarily due to its decade old-look.

The underling platform for Lotus Notes client software is also changed with this release, and it will be based on Eclipse RPC code base. But right from version 6.5 IBM has introduce API enhancements to support prior version applications in eclipse based Hannover. This is what IBM calls as composite applications.

Though its a very encouraging move from IBM, there is a huge community of Lotus Developers and Partners, who are providing consultancy and application based on Lotus technology. So what this new interface means to them?

There are many questions that would be answered as more material is available from IBM on Hannover, but these are my understanding on Hannover release.

1. The Lotus Notes Mail/Calendaring features will be only eclipse based initially. These same interface components as we see for the email views/perspectives will not be available for Developers to use in their Notes Application.
2. Hannover is only a Client enhancement release, and Lotus Designer will continue to provide the existing interface for Views/Outlines/Forms and other Notes application components
3. Customizing of Mail/Calendaring features as possible in current Mail Templates will not be possible; or atleast they will require high understanding of eclipse classes.
4. The Hannover Mail features will be based on POP3 architecture by default like MS Outlook, connecting to Domino Server for POP3 services and will use Derby database engine for local storage of Email/Calendaring documents.

Inshort, it is a Workplace rich-client for messaging rebranded as Lotus Notes which will continue to support Lotus Notes databases as composite applications, but will not support for long the Notes programming model (Formula, LS, RAD, etc).

These are my understanding of how things are or might be, and need not be taken as something Official from the Vendor.

A Killer App at last!

noreply@blogspirit.com (Subhan SATOPAY) — Wed, 15 Jun 2005 18:05:00 +0400

It was pleasant to read @ Ed Brill on IBM's plan for Lotus Notes 8 code named "Hannover".
The planned design for the version ahead are great, fabulous. It also demonstrates IBM’s strategy for Eclipse based rich client Workplace.

Can’t wait for this launch. Hats-off for Ed and the team. :)

IBM doesn't like peer-to-peer

noreply@blogspirit.com (Subhan SATOPAY) — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:50:00 +0400

I always had doubts on Groove's P2P architecture and its good to read IBM not going that way for Collaboration.

Read More: Search Domino Article

Lotus Workplace Live Demo

noreply@blogspirit.com (Subhan SATOPAY) — Sun, 26 Dec 2004 12:10:00 +0400

IBM has hosted a live demo for showcasing the Lotus Workplace product. This includes all the components of Lotus Workplace suite including Team spaces, e-Learning, Documents, and Conferencing.

Lotus Workplace Live Showcase

A very good palce to have a first look at this product. First timer needs to Sign - up. On the Registration page, for the Access Code field use the value 'firstlook'.

Subhan, Jebel Ali, Dubai

Office, Beware - Here Comes Workplace

noreply@blogspirit.com (Subhan SATOPAY) — Thu, 10 Jun 2004 12:30:00 +0400

Found this very interesting article @ ittoolbox.com while Googling for IBM Workplace Review. Office, Beware -- Here Comes Workplace provides a brief review on the IBM Workplace portfolio vis-a-vis Microsoft's Desktop Offering. IBM Workplace product group consists of Lotus Workplace, Lotus Notes & Domino, Websphere Portal and Websphere Everyplace product offerings.

The stuff to look out for is the IBM Workplace Client Technology. This is a very promising strategy/offering which will provide a mix-match of web-browser and Client-Server architectures. So the users can have a Rich experience with the advantage of central administration of the infrastructure which has become a defacto with the Web.

Also check out this news article, IBM Workplace: evolutionary technology, revolutionary benefits, in which Ambuj Goyal, IBM Lotus General Manager provides lots of insights on the IBM Workplace strategy and roadmap.