Lotusphere is going to be weirdly different.
Category
Panasonic dumps Exchange for IBM/Lotus; open-source Alfresco plugs in to Quickr, Connnections, and Portal; and Lotus General Manager (GM) Bob Picciano's position is being filled by Alistair Rennie. In one week.
Dang. I have that same mix of pride and let-down that comes when a favorite indie band breaks through to wild success. My son wears a Pink Floyd t-shirt, but I saw them at Winterland before they were monster.
Lotusphere is going to be different, because the news isn't about technology, it's about movement. At 8.5.1, the cross-platform Lotus Notes client is certifiable great, Domino is a best-buy, Quickr continues to build credibility, Connections is visionary (not my words, but an analyst), LotusLive is crushing its competitors, and WebSphere Portal is still winning hearts.
At last year's event, I had a conversation with Michael Cote, who referred to the announcement of LotusLive as "shockingly contemporary." He nailed it. With a rollout from Panasonic that is expected to move as many as 300,000 accounts, the LotusLive initiative is the most successful play for any enterprise messaging migration to cloud-based hosting. It dwarfs every Google Apps account.
Alistair Rennie I know through an IBM advisory board that I served on, a few years back. Very focused, clear minded and a straight shooter. He's the type of person who can disagree with you, but explain it in a fashion that clarifies the matter for everyone's benefit. He's a good fit for his new role, especially as he is a Lotus insider, rather than a GM from another division (as has been the IBM tradition).
As for the Alfresco integration, I haven't heard a sound, yet from Matt Asay, but I'm expecting a thorough analysis.
Press and analysts will have a lot a work at this year's Lotusphere. Can't make the trip to Orlando ? Then I guess you'll be listening to "Wish you were here."
Panasonic dumps Exchange for IBM/Lotus; open-source Alfresco plugs in to Quickr, Connnections, and Portal; and Lotus General Manager (GM) Bob Picciano's position is being filled by Alistair Rennie. In one week.
Dang. I have that same mix of pride and let-down that comes when a favorite indie band breaks through to wild success. My son wears a Pink Floyd t-shirt, but I saw them at Winterland before they were monster.
Lotusphere is going to be different, because the news isn't about technology, it's about movement. At 8.5.1, the cross-platform Lotus Notes client is certifiable great, Domino is a best-buy, Quickr continues to build credibility, Connections is visionary (not my words, but an analyst), LotusLive is crushing its competitors, and WebSphere Portal is still winning hearts.
At last year's event, I had a conversation with Michael Cote, who referred to the announcement of LotusLive as "shockingly contemporary." He nailed it. With a rollout from Panasonic that is expected to move as many as 300,000 accounts, the LotusLive initiative is the most successful play for any enterprise messaging migration to cloud-based hosting. It dwarfs every Google Apps account.
Alistair Rennie I know through an IBM advisory board that I served on, a few years back. Very focused, clear minded and a straight shooter. He's the type of person who can disagree with you, but explain it in a fashion that clarifies the matter for everyone's benefit. He's a good fit for his new role, especially as he is a Lotus insider, rather than a GM from another division (as has been the IBM tradition).
As for the Alfresco integration, I haven't heard a sound, yet from Matt Asay, but I'm expecting a thorough analysis.
- MAPI is out (mea culpa, I've argued for its inclusion, I was wrong).
- Open-source integration is in.
Press and analysts will have a lot a work at this year's Lotusphere. Can't make the trip to Orlando ? Then I guess you'll be listening to "Wish you were here."
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