IBM rolls out Eclipse-based 'Lotus Notes' and 'Domino 8'

International Business Machines (IBM) on Friday officially announced the general availability of Lotus Notes 8 and Lotus Domino 8, the latest version of their business e-mail and collaboration software that will incorporate a wide range of collaboration tools alongside the email client.

Released after two years of comprehensive testing, Lotus Notes and Domino 8 technology, formerly code-named Hannover, features an updated user interface and also comes loaded with new usability tools and capabilities, like the ability to send instant messages from within the e-mail client through Big Blue's Sametime software.

Lotus Notes 8, according to IBM, is a collaborative business tool that supports users’ ability to focus on what matters most to their business, while Lotus Domino 8 software offers the option to recall mails and centrally manage initial deployment and upgrades of Lotus Notes 8 software and composite applications, the company has described in its Web site.

The development process for Notes and Domino 8 has included one of the most comprehensive testing programs in Lotus history, opening up the technology to a vast number of potential testers, the IBM officials said. The updated Notes and Domino product delivers enhancements to e-mail, calendar and contact management applications; access to spreadsheets, presentations and documents; and a shareable activities center, they said.

According to IBM, these updates are the result of building the Version 8 suit on top of the Eclipse-based rich client platform. This represents IBM's strategy to create client interfaces built on a common platform so that components of any client application can be provisioned and managed centrally.

Michael Rhodin, general manager IBM Lotus Software, said the new version is intended to consolidate a wide range of collaboration tools onto one screen. "Our customers are calling Lotus Notes 8 the 'desktop of the future' because it consolidates all their collaboration tools into one screen," said Rhodin.

"Collaboration is eclipsing email as the killer app we use daily, whether your virtual desktop is on your desk, in your car, your hand, or your ear. Notes and Domino 8 is your personal portal to the Web 2.0 world."

Lotus Notes 8 is built on the programming model of Lotus Expeditor 6.1.1, which is based on open standards from Eclipse.org, and enables the construction and deployment of enterprise mashups, also known as composite applications.

Armonk, New York-based IBM said that the software's support for a wide range of platforms, including Linux and Windows for clients and Windows, Linux, Sun Solaris, AIX and IBM System “i” for servers, would make it comparatively easy for companies to use the technology.

Lotus Notes 8 software starts at suggested retail price of $101 per client, while a browser-based alternative, IBM Domino Web Access clients are available at $73 per user. IBM Lotus Domino server software starts at suggested retail price of $14.75 per value unit, while Lotus Domino Express solutions for small and medium businesses start at an SRP of $99 per user, inclusive of client and server.

IBM shares jumped $1.21, or 1.1 percent, to $110.90 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.