02
Sat, Nov
2 New Articles

Lotusphere 2008 Promises a Deeper Look into Collaboration Software

Collaboration & Messaging
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Social software takes a step forward as IBM announces Atlas for Lotus Connections a month ahead of the year's main Lotus event.

 

It's time to get those requisitions in for anyone headed to Florida for Lotusphere in January.

 

If your accounting department is a little slow to cough up the $2,095 registration fee, just remind your head bean counter that if he doesn't pay up by January 17, it will cost the company another two hundred bucks! The conference runs January 20–24 in Orlando .

 

With 7,000 attendees registering for Lotusphere last year, one hopes that the $14 million or so that was collected went back into R&D. Regardless, it will be hard to top last year's announcements that included IBM Lotus Connections (the industry's first business-ready social software platform), IBM Lotus Quickr (a Web 2.0 collaborative content platform), Lotus Sametime 7.5.1 (featuring expanded unified communications capabilities and increased operability with Microsoft software), and, of course, the jewel in the Lotus crown: Eclipse-based Lotus Notes and Domino 8, which shipped this year and created a distinct case of heartburn for System i users disappointed about the implementation of the Notes data structure on the platform.

 

Nevertheless, this year's conference promises to be a high-energy event that may focus on extending the applications and features announced last year and just this month. Again, there will be two opening general sessions Monday morning with an alternate keynote presentation that the Lotusphere folks are calling an Industry Salon.

 

Ironically, instead of waiting for the launch of next month's show, IBM this week announced a tool called IBM Atlas that works with Lotus Connections. It's a corporate networking visualization and analysis tool that is designed to enhance Lotus Connections social software by helping users visualize who is working on what projects and how they might best contribute to future undertakings based on their skills and background.

 

Developed by IBM Research, Atlas has four Web 2.0-based components— Net, My Net, Find, and Reach. These components help users visualize the interrelationships between various groups and make it easier to navigate between them. After learning a little bit about this software, I couldn't help but think it would be great for freshmen members of Congress who get to Washington and don't have a clue about who's pulling the strings on what committee and who you need to schmooze in order to get your pet bill out onto the floor for a vote (remember, you heard it here first).

 

The Net component of Atlas provides a visual representation of the important loci among topic experts and informal groups that have emerged as a result of working on similar projects. My Net offers the same capability for a user's individual network. The Find component builds on the expertise capabilities of people in the organization and takes the corporate directory to the next level by including such information as reporting structures, blogs, and communities. Atlas Reach is a social software dashboard feature designed to help users determine the shortest path to "reach" an expert; it then ranks the expert based on her level of interaction across the network. Basically, just think of Atlas as your contact management software on peyote. Suddenly, you're seeing colorful relationships between people you never before knew existed!

 

The whole idea is to speed up the process of problem-solving and decision-making. "When you apply social software to business processes, the ability to see and understand the relationships between groups, people and information is critical," says Jeff Schick, vice president of social software for IBM Lotus. "Atlas helps workers navigate their social networks and use these relationships to rally around ideas and projects instead of organizational charts…." Atlas provides a contextual framework for seeking out new contacts and relationships down the road.

 

Collaboration and social software, which undoubtedly will be the focus of this year's Lotusphere, is a far cry from the DOS-based implementation of Lotus 123 in the mid-1980s that helped contribute to the success of the PC in the corporate environment. It was only last June that IBM introduced three major collaboration and social networking applications under the heading of the Web 2.0 Goes to Work Initiative—Quickr 8.0, Connections, and IBM Info 2.0. Why IBM chose to announce Atlas now instead of wait until Lotusphere isn't clear, but it could be to clear the ramp for a spate of new announcements in the realm of visualization search technology that Lotus has been working on.

 

Regardless of what new products or enhancements are announced at Lotusphere 2008, I think we can conclude that social networking software for business use is here to stay. It's clear that IBM is convinced there is sufficient merit in the efficiencies these applications can realize for businesses in a world of outsourced products and trans-global workgroups to continue with their development—perhaps "evolution" is a better term. The Web 2.0 phenomenon isn't going away, but it will pose challenges to today's IT administrators who now must implement these types of solutions in a way that keeps everyone's personal information secure.

 

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: