04
Mon, Nov
1 New Articles

Emerging Countries Gear Up for Expansion with Cloud Services and Open Source

Analysis of News Events
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

IBM expands Web-based email while teaming with Canonical to introduce a new Linux-based software package for desktops.

 

IBM introduced a new business-class Web-based email and calendaring service last week that promises to simplify email administration, while still offering flexible and robust services. The announcement came at the same time that IBM said it was teaming with Canonical on a new personal computing software package for notebooks and other thin-client devices. The trend is toward lean and mean, and IBM is betting it will get a big reception in countries unable to pay high prices for proprietary desktop software.

 

LotusLive iNotes offers email access without the hardware, software, or data-center costs normally associated with server-based email systems. What's more, in just minutes, administrators can provision new email accounts to users while managing accounts of existing members. Without the cost and usual risk associated with integrating emerging technologies into your email system, companies deploying LotusLive iNotes will find their users can access their email from a number of different locales, such as a personal computer, a shared terminal, or even a mobile device. They can connect up with LotusLive on Notes. And perhaps the best part? It costs only $3 per user per month (with a one-year agreement).

 

Included in the offering is built-in spam and virus protection, a feature that makes LotusLive iNotes worth the investment for the virus protection alone. Users get webmail, contacts, calendaring, 1 GB of storage per user, and a unique cross-platform capability to use with email clients such as Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook. Mobile devices are supported through IMAP IDLE. The email system administration tools will make LotusLive iNotes attractive to system administrators. Provisioning users in large organizations, where turnover is significant, can be greatly simplified with the administration tools of this Web-based email system. An additional 100 GB of storage can be purchased through subscription and allocated as needs arise.

 

LotusLive iNotes for netbooks and thin-client devices is part of a personal computing software package being introduced this fall in Africa in an effort to bridge the digital divide between developed and emerging countries. According to Bob Picciano, general manager of IBM Lotus, software businesses in emerging markets are seeking freedom and flexibility afforded by open standards. The new IBM software client package "builds on the movement toward open standards and Web-based personal computing by giving people the power to work smarter, regardless of device," he says.

 

Dubbed the IBM Client for Smart Work, the package is a joint effort by IBM and Canonical. It consists of a cloud- and premise-based Linux netbook software package designed to take advantage of the increasingly popular low-cost netbook. It consists of open-standards-based email, word processing, spreadsheet, unified communications, social networking, and other software for laptop, netbook, or a variety of mobile devices. It runs on Canonical's Ubuntu Linux operating system and provides an option through a cloud service model to deliver collaboration over the Web. The standard package includes Lotus Notes or iNotes (Web-based service), Lotus Symphony, Lotus Sametime, and components from LotusLive. The package can be modified to include WebSphere Portal, Lotus Connections for on-premise social networking, and Lotus Quicker for file and repository management.

 

IBM estimates that the Linux-based software package can save an organization up to 50 percent per individual seat versus an equivalent Microsoft-based desktop when you factor in licensing, administration, and maintenance.

 

"Starting with Africa, we see that this smart client package can help realize our vision of eliminating barriers to computer access for emerging markets," says Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical. "Our IBM partnership brings together the strengths of collaboration."

 

The new software package also supports desktop virtualization. The software bundle can be extended to virtualized workspaces using VERDE from Virtual Bridges, which is available locally through business partners.

 

The Smart Work client relies on the Web-based LotusLive.com to give businesses the tools to build a network of partners and suppliers. The idea is to give companies the tools to reduce costs and reach out to new customers in remote areas. LotusLive has a variety of different packages, including iNotes, that allow users to share files, conduct online meetings, engage in secure instant messaging, and exploit social networking. Subscription-based fees that start at just $10 per user per month make the package eminently affordable. Regions of the world that heretofore have relied on either pirated or unsupported free software now have an alternative.

 

"Most free software packages can be a nightmare of setup woes, training costs, and processes that just don't fit your organization," Professor Venansius Barya Baryamureeba, dean of the faculty of computing and IT at Makerere University in Uganda, tells IBM.

 

According to IBM, the challenges faced by nations with mature economies are quite different from those faced by emerging countries, especially during the ongoing global economic downturn. Businesses in established markets have focused on ways to improve efficiency and lower IT costs. Those in emerging markets have spent their time working out ways to equip their workers with the tools and technology to manufacture, service, and sell more goods. Apparently Africa and other emerging markets are working toward expanding their commercial sectors through reliance on new, open systems that can respond more flexibly to a need to expand than proprietary software affords.

 

While many established companies in developed nations have become used to the features and support that go with proprietary desktop software, a good portion of the emerging world is taking a different direction: one that beats a path toward open-standards and open-source software.

Chris Smith

Chris Smith was the Senior News Editor at MC Press Online from 2007 to 2012 and was responsible for the news content on the company's Web site. Chris has been writing about the IBM midrange industry since 1992 when he signed on with Duke Communications as West Coast Editor of News 3X/400. With a bachelor's from the University of California at Berkeley, where he majored in English and minored in Journalism, and a master's in Journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Chris later studied computer programming and AS/400 operations at Long Beach City College. An award-winning writer with two Maggie Awards, four business books, and a collection of poetry to his credit, Chris began his newspaper career as a reporter in northern California, later worked as night city editor for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, and went on to edit a national cable television trade magazine. He was Communications Manager for McDonnell Douglas Corp. in Long Beach, Calif., before it merged with Boeing, and oversaw implementation of the company's first IBM desktop publishing system there. An editor for MC Press Online since 2007, Chris has authored some 300 articles on a broad range of topics surrounding the IBM midrange platform that have appeared in the company's eight industry-leading newsletters. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: