The Register: IBM attempts Vulcan death grip (and other UK Lotusphere press coverage)

January 27 2010

More UK press analysis coming out of Lotusphere...

[T]wo questions must be addressed in the days ahead. First, is the matter of whether IBM can actually live up to its promises to create a open and more developer-friendly platform than Microsoft. Microsoft might have the partner and developer ecosystem, but the Exchange and SharePoint code is not open. Big Blue is a major advocate and contributor to open source, so there's definitely hope for it there.

The next is IBM's direction itself. Google scored itself a lot of buzz with the introduction of its permissions-light Google Wave last year, but now many are scratching their heads wondering exactly what to do with it. To be fair, Wave is still at an unstable, preview stage, but Google has seemed satisfied thus far just hoping the platform will evolve naturally as a tool for enterprises once companies like Novell and Salesforce.com have a chance to game around with it.

IBM needs to shore in the free-love attitude of Google's to show some actual value and maturity in the idea. Big Blue may be following Google's lead in the collaboration space, but it must show the world that in the end, it's not too Googly.
Link: The Register UK: IBM attempts Vulcan death grip >

There has been a bunch of other good Lotusphere press coverage/analysis coming out of the UK publications:
V3.co.uk: Lotus Symphony gets Excel-like capabilities >
V3.co.uk: IBM launches LotusLive Labs >
V3.co.uk: Lotus Notes extended to smartphones >
V3.co.uk: IBM adds meeting functionality to Sametime >
V3.co.uk: IBM offers Lotus collaboration consulting services (about Collaboration Agenda) >
ZDNet.co.uk: IBM to release Lotus Notes app for Android >
ZDNet.co.uk: Blackberry gets apps for Lotus Quickr, Connections >
ChannelRegister.co.uk: IBM bakes Lotus Notes for Android >
ComputerWeekly.com: Lotus Notes importance of Android >
Computing.co.uk: IBM hopes Notes will live long and prosper with Project Vulcan >
ComputerWorld UK: IBM Lotus upgrades set for Notes, Domino, other products >

Ed Brill Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Lotusphere 2010  Add/View Comments [4]

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  1. 1  Patrick http://www.synca7.com | 1/27/2010 3:40:24 PM

    This article "V3.co.uk: Lotus Notes extended to smartphones" made me laugh. I couldn't help making a post about it.

    It begins by "Lotusphere 2010: Apple iPhone, Google Android and Nokia Symbian mobile users will soon be able to access Lotus email accounts while on the go.".

    I am using traveler from my nokia E71 since I got it, more than a month now. Before that I was using Traveler on a win mobile 6 HTC device.

    My fellow use it on iPhone and even on android (we cheated a bit using TouchDown here) for a couple of month now.

    I am happy to see that it is known from non geeks nowadays :-)

  1. 2  Brett Hershberger  | 1/27/2010 3:54:03 PM

    Lots of great coverage, but why oh why does MS get banner adds and pop-ups placed around every IBM/Lotus story in the press?

    Every time I follow one of these (not just yours Ed) links to some great press coverage, MS sticks their ugly head in it with a couple of big ads on the page for their competing products! Surely IBM/Lotus should be the one placing ads on the pages that have stories about their products, not MS!

  1. 3  Mark Demicoli http://www.ClickBook.net | 1/27/2010 11:25:09 PM

    @2 So let them advertise. Microsoft are tired old salesmen with sagging trouser pockets and cheap shoes, peddling lemonware that requires a huge marketing budget and forcing contracts down peoples throats.

    Meanwhile, 'Lotus Grows' because it is a long term plan, executed by real visionaries.

  1. 4  GarryL  | 1/28/2010 4:30:07 AM

    @3 Lemonware? Really? What exactly do you mean by that?

    Whilst I can understand that people have strong views on their particular preferences, and that some do not like certain companies regardless of what their products are like, the fact remains that Microsoft products in this sphere, namely Exchange and Sharepoint, have a massive ammount of traction within businesses. Just dismissing it out of hand somewhat is not really realistic, IMHO.

    This is certainly the case in the SMB market in the UK. Whilst we use Notes (8.5.1) we are by far the exception in our region. Microsoft has the advantage of a complete 'eco system' so companies use Office, could be natural to use Outlook and from there onto Sharepoint. The fact is that it all does work for the majority of people - although I have found that most really use sharepoint as a glorified file store.

    However, this 'eco system' extends outwards. We looked recently for a new ERP system and all had links into outlook with some using Sharepoint as the basis for any external portals. I just do not see that with Lotus products.

    Your 'Lotus Grows' statement seems rather out of place given the recent annoucement of a decrease of revenues in this area.

    Don't get me wrong - Notes works for our business at present and certainly the Vulcan annoucement is welcome, albeit we will not see anything for another year. The recent press articles in the UK are certainly a good thing - I just hope that the momentum can be kept up.

    Just my 2 pennies worth.