[2980] in comp.os.os2.announce archive
INFO: Lotus Notes 4.6 Questions (and Answers)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Timothy Sipples)
Fri May 30 17:39:26 1997
To: os2ann.DISCUSS@bloom-picayune.MIT.EDU
Date: 30 May 97 15:11:58 GMT
From: tsipple@us.ibm.com (Timothy Sipples)
Reply-To: tsipple@us.ibm.com (Timothy Sipples)
Reply-to: tsipple@us.ibm.com (Timothy Sipples)
[Followups directed to comp.os.os2.apps]
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I've received a few notes in my mailbox asking about the recently announced
Lotus Notes Version 4.6. Here are some questions that have been asked by OS/2
Warp users along with the answers as I understand them:
Q. Why is Version 4.6 only announced for Windows platforms?
A. The major feature enhancement in Version 4.6 is integration with Microsoft
Internet Explorer and ActiveX on Windows platforms. Since this feature is of
little or no interest to Notes users on other platforms, Version 4.6 was not
announced more widely.
Q. So when's the next Notes upgrade coming for OS/2 Warp?
A. Currently the latest OS/2 Warp version of Lotus Notes (both server and
client) is Version 4.51 (current with all other releases). In addition to
ongoing maintenance, Lotus expects to release Version 5.0 of Lotus Notes,
client and server, for all Notes platforms (including OS/2 Warp, OS/2 Warp
Server, and OS/2 Warp Server SMP) simultaneously in the fourth quarter (or
about 90 days after the final release of Version 4.6). Lotus also expects to
release Lotus Smartsuite 97 for OS/2 Warp in the fourth quarter, an upgrade to
Lotus Smartsuite 96 for OS/2 Warp.
Q. Why is Lotus Notes advertising integration with ActiveX? I thought IBM is
promoting Java.
A. Lotus Notes already supports Java (both on the client and on the server)
and Netscape Navigator, and further enhancements to this support are expected
in Version 5.0. Consequently these features were not reannounced. In
addition, Lotus's Kona (http://kona.lotus.com) office suite is written
entirely in Java. In fact, Lotus is now working on a Java-based SmartCenter
(an update to the WarpCenter) which will ship first in Lotus Smartsuite 97 for
OS/2 Warp.
ActiveX has not enjoyed broad support on the Internet due to several factors,
most notably its security flaws and lack of cross-platform support (including
support for new Internet computing devices such as network stations).
Consequently Java has become the Internet standard for applications. However,
from time-to-time Lotus will implement technologies which customize Notes for
specific platforms while still maintaining a commitment to Internet standards.
For example, Lotus Notes now supports the symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)
performance enhancements in OS/2 Warp Server Advanced SMP for maximum
performance on PC servers. Also, Notes works together with the TME 10
NetFinity system management services in OS/2 Warp Server, so that both clients
and servers can access Notes-based statistics on systems attached to the
network. In Japan, Lotus announced integration of Japanese office equipment
(using standards popular in that country) with OS/2 Warp-J (Japanese version)
Notes servers, to serve that particular market.
Some Windows users wish to use Notes web technology in conjunction with
Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Version 4.6 is intended to provide that
function for that group of people. For OS/2 Warp users, Lotus ships Lotus
Notes Mail with every copy of IBM OS/2 Warp Version 4. These programs and
promotions are designed so that more people on all platforms will enjoy using
Lotus Notes.
Timothy F. Sipples
IBM Personal Software (Chicago)
Internet: tsipple@us.ibm.com
WWW: http://www.secant.com/sipples
Sent with Lotus Notes for OS/2 Warp
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