IBM Kills Lotus Brand With New Notes/Domino Release

[Asrokhel]

Another iconic brand in the IT world is about to disappear. IBM is phasing out Lotus, a brand that was created with the founding of Lotus Software in 1982, and was continued for more than 17 years by IBM after the acquisition of the software maker in 1995.

In a blog post, IBM's Ed Brill announced that IBM will be releasing the "IBM Notes/Domino 9 Social Edition" as a public beta on December 14. It is the first Notes/Domino release that will be made available under the IBM and not Lotus brand.

Brill noted that version 9 will be adding several new features, including "embedded experiences, a modernized user interface, new mail and calendar features, the Notes browser plug-in, SAML support, Traveler support on the IBM i operating system, [and] new XPages features."

He said that there will be still a 8.5.4 maintenance update ("sometime in 2013") for the previous version, but the version number increment to 9 is also designed to "create buzz in the market, including awareness from the industry press and analysts who might not pay attention to a mod point release."

Brill said that the 8.5 release will be supported at least until 2016.

http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/lotus_notes-domino-social_edition-messaging-ed_brill,1-701.html

[HawkMan]

Now if they'd just kill the whole product

[Japlabot]

Lotus Notes if the most painful product I have had the displeasure of using. Oh and Siebel. They need to die die die

[+jamesyfx Subscriber²]

I agree, Lotus Notes was always something that I seethed at if I ever saw it on my screen. What a load of rubbish that was.

[Asrokhel]

I lost out on a job because I didn't know Lotus Notes, I don't even know what it looks like.

[Arkos Reed]

If only they could really kill the product, not just the brand...

From an admin side, Domino/Notes is a F***ing PAIN. For every new release, there are countless bugs, each new Service Pack brings fixes but ALSO regressions, and you must at least wait for the 2nd or 3rd Fix Pack of a Service Pack to get things stable (yes, a Fix Packs on Service Packs... great huh?) Oh and if you're using a localized version, you're just handing them the bat they'll use to beat you into submission... -_-

We'll finally migrate to Exchange next year, GOOD EFFIN' RIDDANCE.