[2092] in comp.os.os2.announce archive
Vendor: Lotus Competitive/Free SmartSuite Upgrade Package
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Anonymized)
Sat Nov 16 16:58:12 1996
To: os2ann.DISCUSS@bloom-picayune.MIT.EDU
Date: 13 Nov 1996 17:32:42 GMT
From: anonymous@anonymous.org (Anonymized)
Reply-To: nobody@mit.edu
Reply-to: nobody
Submitted by: Anonymized by request
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Lotus PRESS RELEASE
Lotus Previews Complete Line of Native Applications for OS/2 Warp
Demonstrates Support for OS/2; Open32 Development Tool Eases Development of
Native OS/2 Warp Applications
See also: http://www.lotus.com
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - At the IBM OS/2 Warp 4 launch event, Lotus Development
Corp. today conducted the first public preview of five of its upcoming native
SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp applications, including Lotus Word Pro, Freelance
Graphics, 1-2-3, Approach and Organizer. With these applications users will be
able to leverage OS/2 Warp 4's strength as an integrated out-of-the-box
connectivity solution for major networks and servers, including the Internet.
As further evidence of its commitment to the OS/2 platform, Lotus will also be
among the first companies to bring OS/2 Warp products to market using IBM's new
Open32 development tools for OS/2 Warp.
In addition to today's preview, Lotus issued pre-release versions of Word Pro
96 and Freelance Graphics 96 Edition for OS/2 Warp. The pre-release software
will be available for download from the Lotus Web site (http://www.lotus.com,
see the "What's New" area of the web site for additional information). Word Pro
and Freelance Graphics will ship in the United States as part of SmartSuite 96
Edition for OS/2 Warp by year end.
Lotus' native OS/2 Warp applications will include numerous productivity
enhancements, breakthrough Team Computing features, extensive Internet access
and publishing functionality and support for Warp 4's new speech navigation and
dictation technologies, as well as native OS/2 features such as drag and drop,
integration with the Workplace Shell and support for the REXX programming
language.
"Lotus' new generation of OS/2 Warp business applications are a key part of our
strategy to provide our customers with cross-platform solutions that leverage
the particular strength of every platform in the typical customer's systems
environment," said Steve Sayre, Lotus' vice president of marketing. "We
recognize significant opportunities for providing business solutions using OS/2
Warp 4 in conjunction with the collaboration and Internet functionality built
into Lotus SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp."
SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp Offers Breakthrough Enhancements in Personal
Productivity, Team Computing and Internet Functionality
SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp combines powerful applications with a focus on
workgroup collaboration. SmartSuite's team computing tools offer an effective
way for workgroups to communicate, collaborate and coordinate on documents and
projects while providing users with seamless and secure access to shared
information, regardless of file format.
* TeamMail allows users to send an entire file or selected pages from a
file via e-mail. Routing allows users to view, edit or comment on a
document, one at a time, so that each user on the route receives the
document with all the edits and comments of the previous team members.
* TeamReview streamlines the manual task of reviewing and editing files.
Simple and accessible mark-up tools allow reviewers to make edits or
suggestions electronically, and authors to quickly and easily
incorporate them.
* TeamConsolidate enables users to combine edits made by multiple people
into one file.
* TeamSecurity helps users maintain document security with ease and
flexibility by enabling them to provide customized access privileges for
individual team members or entire groups.
* Internet support allows users of OS/2 Warp to open files directly from
an FTP or Web server without having to first save them locally with a
browser. Using support for HTML file formats, Word Pro 96 and Freelance
Graphics 96 for OS/2 Warp allow users to save documents and
presentations directly to HTML format for posting on a Web site -
allowing users to create Web pages or Web-based presentations without
having to learn and type cryptic HTML tags and codes.
"SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp is the business application solution for us now and
in the future," said Virgil Pittman, CIO, Fireman's Fund. "The efficiencies
inherent to the collaborative features, Internet integration and OS/2 Warp 4's
voice recognition functionality will help us improve our business processes
and will provide cutting edge solutions to our organization."
Scheduled to ship in the first half of 1997, Lotus SmartSuite 97 Edition for
OS/2 Warp marks the delivery of the first complete set of native OS/2 Warp
applications including Word Pro, Freelance Graphics, 1-2-3, Approach,
Organizer and ScreenCam.
Open32 Development Tool Eases Development of OS/2 Warp Applications
Lotus has adopted a technology strategy for its OS/2 development efforts in
which major portions of the SmartSuite for OS/2 Warp applications are
developed using IBM's Open32 development tool. Open32 allows developers to
create native OS/2 Warp applications using the same code base as their Windows
95 and Windows NT counterparts by addressing the most critical Win32 APIs,
streamlining the development process of creating native OS/2 Warp
applications. Lotus has found that as much as 90 percent of the code can be
reused in writing OS/2 Warp, Windows 95 and Windows NT applications.
As native OS/2 Warp applications, SmartSuite will leverage OS/2's strength as
a stable and reliable, third generation, 32-bit operating platform. Workplace
Shell integration will provide intuitive ways for users to work with
information, including drag-and-drop file printing and management.
Additionally, SmartSuite's programming language, LotusScript, includes support
for REXX, to enable more powerful application development on the OS/2
platform.
Pricing and Availability
Lotus SmartSuite 96 Edition for OS/2 Warp is scheduled to ship in the U.S. by
year end and will include the native OS/2 Warp versions of Word Pro 96 and
Freelance Graphics 96, as well as the Windows 3.1 versions of 1-2-3, Approach
and Organizer. Available on CD-ROM only, users of any Lotus or competitive
suite, word processor, spreadsheet, database or presentation graphics
application can upgrade to SmartSuite 96 for OS/2 Warp for $149 (the
non-upgrade, full product estimated retail price will be $399). Registered
users of SmartSuite 96 for OS/2 Warp will automatically receive SmartSuite 97
for OS/2 Warp which is expected to ship in the first half of 1997.
As part of Lotus' Global Product Strategy, Danish, French, German, Italian,
Spanish and International English versions of Word Pro 96 and Freelance
Graphics 96 for OS/2 Warp will ship within 30 days of the U.S. English
versions. Additional information regarding international pricing and
availability of Lotus Word Pro and Lotus Freelance Graphics 96 Edition for
OS/2 Warp will be made available closer to shipment.
Lotus Development Corporation, founded in 1982, is a subsidiary of IBM
Corporation. Lotus offers high quality software products and services that
reflect the company's unique understanding of the new ways in which
individuals and businesses must work together to achieve success. Lotus'
innovative approach is evident in a new class of applications that allow users
to access and communicate information in ways never before possible, both
within and beyond organizational boundaries. Lotus now markets its products in
more than 80 countries worldwide and provides numerous professional
consulting, support and education services through the Lotus Services Group.
###
All prices and terms are for the USA only. Lotus, IBM, Lotus Organizer, 1-2-3,
Word Pro, Approach, Freelance Graphics and SmartSuite are registered
trademarks, and ScreenCam and SmartCenter are trademarks of Lotus Development
Corporation. Other brands and products are the property of their respective
owners.
EDITOR'S NOTE: All Lotus news releases and other SmartSuite collateral are
available on the Internet, via the Lotus Development Corp. Home Page at
http://www.Lotus.com. The Lotus Home Page is an easy way to find information
about Lotus and its business partners' products and services.
A copy of this release and other company information is also available via fax
by dialing 1-800-57-LOTUS within the U.S. and Canada or 201-946-2336 outside
the U.S. and Canada.
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