29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

Lotus Gets Its Workplace in Order

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

Earlier this month, IBM unveiled several new products for its Lotus Workplace environment. As it did so, the computer giant made some important statements about how Workplace will affect its long-term strategy for Lotus' existing products. IBM also used the announcement to position Workplace as the leading alternative to Microsoft's Office System for boosting the productivity of workgroups and automating their business processes.

In its announcement, IBM unveiled four Workplace modules. Lotus Workplace Messaging provides email, calendar, and contact management capabilities. Lotus Workplace Team Collaboration offers the real-time messaging and Web conferencing functions found in the vendor's Sametime and QuickPlace products. Lotus Workplace Web Content Management manages the deployment of content to Web sites, while Lotus Workplace Collaborative Learning provides e-learning services.

While I will say more about these products in a future article, I want to devote the rest of this column to answering some questions that I am sure many Lotus customers are asking right now. Since Workplace offers the same capabilities as Domino, Notes, and other Lotus products, does IBM intend to drop support for those products? What is IBM's strategy for its workgroup computing solutions?

To answer those questions, let's start by understanding that as IBM sees it, today's Domino/Notes platform is in very much the same position as the iSeries server. Both platforms were pioneers in their ability to integrate a variety of business functions in an elegant fashion. Both platforms gained a loyal following because of these groundbreaking capabilities. However, since both platforms were developed before the emergence of open standards, they use proprietary technologies--such as RPG and Domino's Native Store Facility (NSF)--that limit their flexibility. Both platforms must migrate to industry-standard technologies if they are to integrate with today's distributed object-oriented systems and maintain their relevance.

As a consequence, IBM has adopted a strategy for the Domino/Notes platform that is very similar to its iSeries strategy. It is integrating industry-standard technologies into the platform while pledging to support and enhance the existing Domino/Notes platform for years to come. The new technologies will eventually deliver almost all of the capabilities offered today by the proprietary technologies as well as many additional functions. Over time, customers will be able to incorporate the new technologies into their applications and gradually reduce their dependence on the current Domino/Notes platform.

In short, Lotus Workplace is to Domino/Notes what the iSeries is to the original development and runtime environments of the AS/400. At the user level, Workplace offers all of the functions of Domino/Notes and more. Under the covers, however, it delivers that function via a modernized and open family of technologies. To get a sense of what those technologies are, let's take a closer look at IBM's Workplace strategy. That strategy calls for the following actions on the computer giant's part:

  • Replace Domino's proprietary database with DB2. While Domino applications can store data in either DB2 or Domino's NSF, Workplace applications can store data only in DB2. This enables Workplace users to manage both relational and unstructured data under a single database system that any application can access by using industry standards.
  • Replicate the functions in today's Lotus server products as modular components that run on WebSphere Application Server. Already, IBM has decomposed most of the functions in Lotus' server applications--including Domino, Sametime, and QuickPlace--and redeployed those functions within the new Workplace modules. These modules use WebSphere Application Server instead of the native Domino application server as their runtime engine. Customers can run their existing Domino applications within a Workplace environment, but they also need to deploy the Domino server within that environment.
  • Provide new workgroup computing functions in Workplace that will not be made available in Domino. Over time, IBM and third-party developers will create modules for Workplace that are exclusive to the platform. One example of this is Lotus Workplace for Business Controls and Reporting, a module that IBM codeveloped with KPMG to help companies comply with Sarbanes-Oxley accounting legislation.
  • Enable customers to access Workplace modules through multiple clients. Rather than force users of various collaboration clients to dump their familiar interfaces, Workplace offers access through Notes, Microsoft Outlook, and Web browsers. Of course, Notes and Outlook will be able to access only those Workplace functions that their interfaces can support. The only presentation layer that will allow users to access all Workplace functions is IBM's WebSphere Portal Server, where IBM has already created a flexible and highly integrated environment for browser clients. In addition, Lotus is developing a "rich client" for accessing Workplace modules on an offline basis as well as a client for mobile devices.
  • Recruit Lotus Business Partners and other developers to build their applications on Workplace. IBM has already signed up over 50 partners to develop and deploy solutions on Workplace. These numbers will undoubtedly grow as the Workplace customer base grows.

As part of this strategy, IBM will continue to support Domino and Notes for many years to come. Customers will have the option to run most or even all of their existing Domino applications on a standalone basis or host them within the Workplace environment. IBM will continue to offer significant if not dramatic enhancements to both Domino and Notes. However, the bulk of the company's development efforts will shift to its Workplace products.

There is much more I could say about Workplace, but I've run out of space for this week. I'll take a closer look at the Workplace product line and its implications for Microsoft in a future article, so stay tuned.

Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology. You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LEE KROON
Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology.
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: