IBM today extended Lotus Notes, its most widely used software, to new markets through delivery as a hosted service called Lotus Notes Hosted Messaging.
IBM has been driving Lotus Notes and Domino into new markets such as iPhone users, social networking and unified communications clients, and many other new businesses around the world.
Lotus has led IBM into the nascent cloud services market with offerings such as Sametime Unyte Web conferencing software and IBM's "Bluehouse" extranet collaboration service. IBM is extending its cloud services strategy to its flagship Lotus Notes franchise to attract new customers including more retail, global manufacturing, and insurance companies. Lotus Notes Hosted Messaging can be customized to the needs of each company by an IBM services team.
Using a hosting service, there is no need to purchase, house, or supply energy to new hardware needed to run the software. Customers of Lotus Notes messaging software can instead focus their IT resources on other strategic business projects.
Priced starting at less than $10 per user per month, new IBM Lotus Notes Hosted Messaging is designed primarily for companies with 1,000 to 10,000 employees. However, IBM can tailor software and service plans for smaller and larger companies as well. The new hosted Notes Messaging service is supported by a dedicated IBM team and features two service level agreement options, spam and virus filtering and backup and restore services.
"Software delivery models such as cloud computing, software-as-a-service and hosting are evolving because companies want flexibility," said Kevin Cavanaugh, vice president, IBM Messaging and Collaboration. "The new hosted Notes is another option IBM is providing to customers. There is high demand for this approach because of the way it is delivered, and its competitive pricing," he added.
For additional terms and conditions of the new hosted software and service, visit www.ibm.com/software/lotus/notesanddomino/hosted-licensing.html.
Hyatt Chooses Lotus Notes, Sametime Worldwide
IBM also announced today that Global Hyatt Corp. has chosen IBM Lotus Notes Domino and Sametime collaboration and unified communications software for its 365 managed, operated, and franchised hotels in 45 countries. The deal includes e-mail, document sharing, calendaring and the ability to combine unified communications and collaboration across a range of information technology (IT) environments to make it easier to find, reach and collaborate with employees and customers.
"We need to enable our associates to be more collaborative and versatile with open tools that have the best return on investment. This is why we chose IBM's collaboration software," said Cliff Tamplin, vice president of IT, Infrastructure and Operations, Global Hyatt Corp. He added, "It is easier and faster to share documents and schedule meetings using the online tools from IBM."
Global Hyatt is rolling out IBM Lotus Notes version 8.0 to its North American hotels this year and its international hotels in 2009 so that it can reap the benefits of the technology named by many customers as "the desktop of the future," IBM said. The new software features built-in Web 2.0 capabilities such as composite applications, which draw their functionality and uniquely combine information from several different sources and live text. Live text enables Lotus Notes to recognize patterns in text in any document and then perform actions on that text. Examples include mapping an address, looking up a name in a corporate directory, checking a stock, looking up a part number, checking a flight status, and tracking a package.
The IBM Lotus Notes software has an easy-to-use interface, allowing Hyatt's staff to quickly access their email and calendar entries. In this latest version, Sametime instant messaging is built right into the main screen, right next to the email in-box. Hotel staff can also take advantage of the software's message recall feature, which allows them to recall emails sent to the wrong recipient or which contain the wrong information. In addition, Global Hyatt worked with IBM to give its staff access to team rooms, which are repositories where documents can be stored and retrieved by user communities through Lotus Notes.
Global Hyatt is also making the latest IBM Lotus Sametime functionality available to all its employees worldwide so they can all be on the same system. When fully deployed in 2009, 25,000 Global Hyatt employees will use Sametime V8 to communicate with their coworkers, vendors and suppliers, through multiple media such as instant messages, visuals and voice. Global Hyatt purchased IBM Sametime Web conferencing licenses as well, so that corporate offices and hotels can now host conferences online. In addition, Sametime software can easily interface with other common instant messaging systems such as Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger.
"IBM is defining and delivering the next-generation collaboration environment that will help people drive better business results in the global economy," said Bob Picciano, general manager, IBM Lotus Software. "Global Hyatt Corp. has invested in its people by establishing a culture of collaborative innovation. Through this investment, Hyatt employees will experience the future of work--today."
Global Hyatt is not alone in choosing IBM Lotus software for its unified communications. IBM Lotus Notes and Domino has grown to 140 million licensed users worldwide, has increased its user base across small- and medium-sized businesses, and is used by more than half of the largest 100 corporations in the world, and 80 percent of the top 10 global companies in banking, telecommunications, aerospace and defense, consumer products, electronics, insurance and pharmaceuticals. Lotus Sametime, IBM's unified communications and collaboration platform, has more than 100 million users. It has been purchased by 29 of the Global Fortune 50, 12 of the top 15 worldwide banks, eight of the top 10 worldwide pharmaceutical firms, and four of the five most profitable companies in the world. An Osterman Research report* states that IBM Lotus Sametime is the number one instant messaging software used by corporations. For more information, visit www.ibm.com/lotus
About Global Hyatt Corp.
Global Hyatt Corp., headquartered in Chicago, is one of the world's premier hotel companies. The hotels owned, operated, managed or franchised by its subsidiaries provide hospitality to guests in 45 countries through a commitment to personalized service, cultural relevance, and the environment. Global Hyatt subsidiaries own, operate, manage or franchise more than 365 hotels and resorts worldwide under the HyattTM, Hyatt RegencyTM, Hyatt ResortsTM, Grand HyattTM, Park HyattTM, Hyatt PlaceTM, Hyatt Summerfield SuitesTM and AndazTM brands with additional properties under development on five continents. Global Hyatt Corp. is also the owner of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Inc., operator of Hyatt Vacation Club. The success of Global Hyatt is driven by the commitment and energy of the thousands of men and women around the world who provide exceptional service to hotel guests, the company says. For more information, including availability, from the U.S. or Canada call 1-800-233-1234 or visit www.hyatt.com.
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*Source: Osterman Research, "Presence, IM and Real-Time Communication Trends, 2008-2011, An Osterman Research Multiclient Report," September 2008.
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