Lotusphere 2005

I must say, Lotusphere this year was much, much better than last year. Last year was okay, but I for one came away confused about where Domino fit into the IBM puzzle, and a puzzle it was. This year, from the opening general session, Mike Rhodin and Ambuj Goyal repeatedly drove home key points with strong emphasis on long term Lotus/Domino presence and enhancements, continued support and development, and overall product integration. Workplace Services Express may finally demystify in a practical, affordable, and most of all, manageable test environment what it is that Workplace really brings to the table. Finally, IBM has given us an opportunity to become motivated towards possible Workplace implementation. This light version appears to offer possibly dynamic, streamlined integration of the desktop, file system, web, and all of the notes functionality that we all know and love, from one centralized workspace. And it is all role based and built upon the concept of team management. How cool is that?

I am happy because I was able to hit Epcot, Magic Kindgom, MGM Studios, Sea World, and Islands of Adventure(thanks to the lotusphere party), AND hit over 10 sessions, AND pass the 601 upgrade exam with a nice 92% leaving 32 minutes on the clock, AND win a nice Lotus Notebook Binder(thanks Barbara). I even had time for two massages in the CLP lounge. In summation, this year, the Lotus faithful were not stuck in the smaller, overflowing rooms at the Swan, while all of the Workplace/Websphere sessions were given top billing in the larger Dolphin Ballrooms. It appears that IBM listened, and in doing so, gave precedence to their user base rather than their marketing strategy…or perhaps it is now a perfect world, and these are one in the same.

Subject: Lotusphere 2005

I was glad to see that WebSphere and Workplace were presented as alternative, optional products, and not trying to stand in the way, or replacing Notes/Domino.

Although I am going to give Workplace also an evaluation this year, I don’t see any use for WebSphere yet, however IIS (or actually it’s a seperate web server for multimedia, which doesn’t even need IIS) has one useful feature: mms:// video streaming (super-fast super-high quality online video streaming), which Domino and WebSphere doesn’t have (yet?).

But still, I think there was a bit too much of WebSphere, Workplace, and DB2 sessions. I was missing completely some programming and development related session at the end of the week. It’s supposed to be Lotusphere, and not IBMsphere.

Domino can handle relational databases very well without DB2, and even better, as it’s not restricted to hardcoded field types and lengths. A WebQueryOpen agent written in LotusScript/Java makes miracles, and with an amazing speed.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

WebSphere is a Java WAS (or, rather, WebSphere Application Server is a Java WAS), and there are java-based stream servers available, therefore, streaming media is available on WebSphere. Would anything similar be available on Domino? I doubt it, but that does’t mean that Domino sites can’t serve streamd media. In fact, most sites stream from a different server, so Domino is not “behind” in any regard, and it can be argued (successfully) that streaming would present an undue load to any application server.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

That’s actually a great idea, to have a seperate server for video streams. That way you would not compromise the security and performance of your domino server, escecially when those microsoft multimedia ports tend to have quite often security leaks.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

I myself found most of the sessions repititous from last year, with most of the others full of Marketing hype. The best real and indepth information about Domino and Workplace was from one on ones with the IBMers and the BOFs.

And Ambush’s speech was practically the same as last year. almost word for word with regard to IBM’s direction. I felt like I had deja-vu, and I wasnt the only one.

What seems to be IBM’s trend no matter how many times they want to sell it to you, Domino servers are going away and so will the Notes client. From what I gather after speaking to so many IBMers is that the Notes client will become the workplace rich client,(they didnt say it in so many words) and the notes look and feel will be available within the Workplace rich client.

Secondly, The Workplace product is not, in my opinion, ready for an enterprise environment that already leverages the Domino, sametime, quickplace technology. You cannot fully integrate those products seemlessly with workplace, but only have them as portlets. If thats the case, you may as well just go buy Websphere Portal express.

I had hoped IBM would be more straight forward with us and tell us they are morphing Domino and its collaborative products into workplace, and that they do have a roadmap.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

I was positively surprised with the performance boost of Domino 7, and rumors say that Notes 8 (Domino too?) will indeed have Workplace as their frontend, so lets hope they don’t forget about the importance of performance, and rather remove some features than adding more in future. For me Domino with agents/forms/documents/views is enough, the rest is basically just toys and performance hogs.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

I agree that notes alone is an excellent platform; unique in its concept, and superior in its endless potential ROI. I wrote published, scathing criticism of the IBM approach to marketing notes/domino in the past. I maintain that websphere alone will fail. It is too expensive if you can even put a price tag on it. Perhaps some scaled down version will survive as a back-end for workplace functionality. However, the computing world is evolving right now. A shared desktop experience and combined collaborative features IS the future, the near future. Microsoft is on board via sharepoint. If IBM was to stick with the status-quo, they will certainly see themselves, at the end of day, as the laughing stock of the industry…maintaining an antiquated system of monolithic platforms and disparate technologies. Apparently, the powers that be at IBM determined that it was necessary to create an additional platform to facilitate the “portal”. The portal is to become a one-stop shop. Imagine being able to make your environment so scalable that when a user launches the product…access to any available shares on the existing network are neatly categorized and accessible, all team and individual tasks clearly defined by progress, priority and status, seamless web integration, full MS Office integration is enabled based not upon product limitations but upon installed Office components…and, of course, the notes data store at the base of it all, if that is your preference…driving your workflow applications, email, conference scheduling…all rendered equally amognst the real estate that is, literally, a truly active desktop environment. Now, imagine that this environment is also self-sufficient and dynamic, yet so secure in its foundation that users can take full control of their own initiatives…fully managing their own team environments and desktop resources themselves. I have long had ideas like this in my head, but the synchronization of active directory security and notes security that would be required is the first thing that I considered…and a dubious consideration it is. Regardless, that is what’s up. That is where the industry is heading. It is not just an IBM thing…but it is IBM’s solution. I see notes as being a part of this as an upside, actually. I want to be the one that introduces this to my organization…at which point I will demand a significant salary increase as well.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

About the client – they have said it in so many words, and more than once. That being said, Domino as a stand-alone is not going anywhere for quite a while, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the Rich Client vis-a-vis Notes/Sametime.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

“And Ambush’s speech was practically the same as last year. almost word for word with regard to IBM’s direction. I felt like I had deja-vu, and I wasnt the only one.”

Hooray! IBM has stuck with a message for more than 365 days. That’s cause for celebration!

“What seems to be IBM’s trend no matter how many times they want to sell it to you, Domino servers are going away and so will the Notes client.”

Now let’s see… massive improvements in scalability for the Domino server. Improved ability to integrate data with enterprise data store. Instant deployment of web services on the Domino platform. But Domino servers are going away. Sounds like you’re hearing the message you want to hear.

“From what I gather after speaking to so many IBMers is that the Notes client will become the workplace rich client,(they didnt say it in so many words) and the notes look and feel will be available within the Workplace rich client.”

Umm, so you mean that the Notes client and the Workplace client are converging? How does that mean the Notes client is going away? It’s aquiring a powerful new set of capabilities, and will be delivered in a mode that will increase its platform support. I think you can only leap from that to “going away” if you work for Radicati.

“Secondly, The Workplace product is not, in my opinion, ready for an enterprise environment that already leverages the Domino, sametime, quickplace technology. You cannot fully integrate those products seemlessly with workplace, but only have them as portlets. If thats the case, you may as well just go buy Websphere Portal express.”

Which is precisely why IBM is committing to futher the development of both Domino and Workplace to establish that convergence. Nobody said that all of this would be available at Lotusphere 2005. Generating good code takes time.

I had hoped IBM would be more straight forward with us and tell us they are morphing Domino and its collaborative products into workplace, and that they do have a roadmap.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

Now let’s see… massive improvements in scalability for the Domino server. Improved ability to integrate data with enterprise data store. Instant deployment of web services on the Domino platform. But Domino servers are going away. Sounds like you’re hearing the message you want to hear.

Either that or IBM wants you to get used to the dB2 and websphere like funtionality. As you state, there is a convergence, and Domino doesnt seem to be winning the fight. We need to be able to see past our shoes and not be so short sighted.

" Umm, so you mean that the Notes client and the Workplace client are converging? How does that mean the Notes client is going away? It’s aquiring a powerful new set of capabilities, and will be delivered in a mode that will increase its platform support. I think you can only leap from that to “going away” if you work for Radicati.

So Millions of end-users of the Lotus Notes client will have to start getting used to the Workplace Rich Client. The majority of the Workplace Rich client has a portal feel. To quote some IBMers at a BOF, “Soon you won’t need to have the Notes client on your desktop to have the look and feel IN THE WORKPLACE RICH CLIENT” that would mean to anyone that was listening, the “Notes client”

as we know it today will dissapear and be replaced by the Workplace rich client. Which will indeed have Notes functionality and has to. However, Do you have any idea how much retraining alone will be involved. I think it’s great to be visionary, but being practical is just as important.

Eventually, we will have to deal with Domino, being just a component of Websphere. However, the NSF will allways be supported by Websphere via a portlet or some future integration points. Thats why IBM said to keep programing in Notes.

Lets not lose sight of the long term and get lost in the vision. Enterprise clients that are looking to spend millions want to know where this is going in a few years and where to spend their money. We cant afford to be short sighted and take IBMs word at face value.

Hey, I am a firm believer in Domino, but realize the number of people reinvesting in Domino is dwindling. I am getting myself retrained on all Websphere and workplace products out of neccessity. I wouldnt want to be left in the dust.

Good luck dreaming

EOM

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

“Either that or IBM wants you to get used to the dB2 and websphere like funtionality.”

This is like saying, because HTTP and SMTP services were included natively in Domino 4.5, that IBM wanted you to get used to open protocols because they were migrating you away from Notes. Boy, that’s exactly how it worked, wasn’t it?

“As you state, there is a convergence, and Domino doesnt seem to be winning the fight.”

How is convergence a fight? This sounds like a bachelor’s idea of marriage.

“We need to be able to see past our shoes and not be so short sighted.”

Argument by intimidation. I must be wrong, because I don’t want to seem “short-sighted.”

“So Millions of end-users of the Lotus Notes client will have to start getting used to the Workplace Rich Client. The majority of the Workplace Rich client has a portal feel.”

Ummm… have you observed the evolution of the client product for the last decade? Have you used the 6.5 Workspace model on the client? Have you deployed a Notes homepage in your organization? That move has been happening for, what, at least 6 years? And it’s a good move, away from isolation of information and towards intelligence, role-based delivery.

"To quote some IBMers at a BOF, “Soon you won’t need to have the Notes client on your desktop to have the look and feel IN THE WORKPLACE RICH CLIENT” that would mean to anyone that was listening, the “Notes client”

as we know it today will dissapear and be replaced by the Workplace rich client."

No, what that means is the Notes client IS the Workplace Rich Client. Ken Bisconti has stated this quite clearly. There’s the browser client model, the Eclipse client model, and the Notes client model, all connecting to Workplace services, which can come from Domino or Websphere or some other place.

The worm is the spice. The spice is the worm.

“However, Do you have any idea how much retraining alone will be involved. I think it’s great to be visionary, but being practical is just as important.”

None unless you’re still operating your Notes environment like it’s 1995.

“Eventually, we will have to deal with Domino, being just a component of Websphere.”

No, we’ll deal with Domino being a component of Workplace. Websphere is another component.

You see, Workplace is an over-arching software strategy that transcends what we formerly knew as individual products. Why is that difficult to understand? What do you think, say, .NET is? Or Java?

“However, the NSF will allways be supported by Websphere via a portlet or some future integration points. Thats why IBM said to keep programing in Notes.”

Actually, what they said was: we will not abandon your investment in Notes, whether that’s yesterday’s investment or tomorrow’s.

“Lets not lose sight of the long term and get lost in the vision.”

How do I get lost in a vision that I’ve lost sight of?

“Enterprise clients that are looking to spend millions want to know where this is going in a few years and where to spend their money. We cant afford to be short sighted and take IBMs word at face value.”

LMAO. Now I get it. You’re trying to convince everyone that you’re smarter than they are because you see through your vendor’s lies. I bet you used to watch CBS News.

“I am getting myself retrained on all Websphere and workplace products out of neccessity. I wouldnt want to be left in the dust.”

Good for you. Rather than spend my time chasing those products, I’ll keep an eye on the evolution that’s causing them to come to me. And in the meantime, I’ll be doing stuff like this: www.openntf.org/nathan/escape.nsf/d6plinks/NTFN-698B3H

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

Clearly you haven’t been speaking to many enterprise clients and are limited in your ability to understand various viewpoints.

So lets make this really simple for you.

If IBM wanted to demonstrate its ability to converge its products without confusing their clients or worrying their existing Domino base, Workplace should have been branded IBM Websphere and Not Lotus. 2 years ago They realized that they were sending the wrong message and had a big drive to correct the public perception about Domino.

Obviously thats the message people were receiving and still are.(the people beyond your cubicle) Had they branded it Websphere, they could have marketed it as the alternative to Domino while having most of Domino’s functionality as well as that of its extended products. All the while achieving their goal of convergence.

Since their target market is those that have limited to no Domino products in their environment it would have been a)less confusing to the general public(and you) b)a bettter sell especially to those that have a negative stigma of Lotus, like the MS people.

I didnt say I dont like Workplace, It will be a great product, but IBM should tell it like it is without confusing many of our medium to enterprise clients.

Clearly you are not out there trying to help sell IBM products, and need to be pryed from your computer monitor to realize what peoples impressions are.

For those of us that are out there pushing Lotus and IBM, we get these questions daily from medium to enterprise clients. If you dont like my opinions and arguments, you better Put your glasses on,open your eyes and realize the publics frustration with Lotus and IBM.

For every hundred that agree with you, there another hundred that agree with me, and another hundred that will have varying degrees of both our opinions.

So lets leave it at that, or is this going to get childish.

Subject: Israel, is it possible that you are the one who is wrong?

You can be as insulting as you like about other people, but I have not noticed a bunch of people jumping in on your side. I deal with large enterprises all the time, and the feedback I get is different than your impression. They may be lying to me, but it is also possible that they are not. I am not even saying you are “wrong”, just that it is not as crystal clear to everyone else that you are right as you think, and that other reasonable people may have come to different conclusions, whether or not they are “limited in [their] ability to understand various viewpoints.” The only viewpoint you seem willing to accept is your own.

Subject: RE: Israel, is it possible that you are the one who is wrong?

yes, and as I mentioned in my last post, I acknowledge that there are many viewpoints. Just as well, I was entitled to state mine amongst all others. It was a few on here that began with the insults, since my opinion differed from theirs.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

“Clearly you haven’t been speaking to many enterprise clients and are limited in your ability to understand various viewpoints.”

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Yeah, I’ve got my head in the sand about Lotus products, and certainly I can’t understand various viewpoint.

Tell you what, Israel, Google my name. Or hell, just search the various forums right here. Go ahead. I’ll wait. It’ll be a while.

“If you dont like my opinions and arguments, you better Put your glasses on,open your eyes and realize the publics frustration with Lotus and IBM.”

More argument by intimidation. Nice work.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

For a person who created an organization based on Openness, you demonstrate clearly the opposite. If you run your organization the same way as you demonstrate your intolerance for others opinions, the world will be better off and will soon wise up that openntf is not really open but subject to your limited viewpoint.

Do you really think, that because you created an organization like openntf that people have to agree with your opinions or be threatened by your insults into agreeing with you.

If Lotus and the world reads this thread, in chronological order, they will begin to distance themselves from you and your organization. Clearly you think that you are gods gift to the lotus world.

You keep thinking like that. I dont agree with you and many others dont, and if you think that by saying that its intimidationg, well then you are even more self-absorbed then anyone can imagine. So go on and keep this up.

I will end this here by not responding to this thread any further. For one, I care for my credibility and am not so self absorbed. My opinion may be incorrect, but its mine.

Subject: RE: Lotusphere 2005

Does this mean we’re not friends anymore?

Subject: One question

On what do you base the statement that “the number of people reinvesting in Domino is dwindling”. Business is booming for us, the seats sold are going up, the winbacks are there, Lotusphere attendance is up, Microsoft has a terribly confusing picture for Exchange and there is no other big competitor on the horizon. Where do you get this impression from?

Subject: One question

Hey I hate MS. But for one, the number of companies that switched to Domino was only 1500 worldwide.

How many of those seats sold are for existing clients just adding butts in the seats??

I am referring to companies looking to make a decision on their messaging infrastructure. With Workplace Messaging getting such a big push, that it dominated Lotusphere, companies will begin looking at Workplace as the new alternative to Domino.

Many people at Lotusphere that I spoke to, were excited about Workplace but unsure how to leverage their existing investment in Domin and its extended products, since that functionality is built into Domino.

Give Workplace 2 years, and there will be practically no reason for a company to switch to Domino if Workplace has all the functionality of Domino AND it’s extended products.

Subject: RE: One question

You seem to have been at a very different LotuSphere than everyone else. Was the one you went to in Orlando?