Doing things different

April 29 2009

It's been a while since I wrote a blog entry that felt particularly defensive.  Today, I need to respond to a criticism that I, and/or the rest of the IBM Lotus executive team, are stuck in a "do it the same way we've always done it" mode.  

Declaratively: it's absolutely not the case.

Right now, my team and I are spending almost all of our cycles identifying and executing activities that are doing things different for Notes, Domino, and Symphony.  Little things like fixing your complaints about download file names.  Big things like getting a promotion for Notes/iNotes into market.  Medium-sized things like figuring out how to use ibm.com, and the websites around it, to communicate more about what Notes and Domino really do and why customers should want to use them.

I was flamed specifically for not jumping into response mode when a two-week-old lame attack paper was discovered on Microsoft's Exchange 2010 site.  The paper happens to link to edbrill.com, and after 14 days online, had generated all of 12 referral hits to my site.  It contained a few granular attacks on Lotus, but as Kevin pointed out in the guest blog entry, changed tactics from Microsoft's usual "Notes is dead".  In fact, from what I heard at Lotusphere Comes to You in Columbus today, Microsoft is still out there telling their partners that "this is the big year" for them to win over the Notes customer base...with the same play they've been running for four years.  Some of you look at a few data points and assume it must be winning.  I look at the number of end-user Notes seats on active maintenance, and i see increases year-to-year from 2004 to 2008.  

If anything, this is the year where MS will wave the white flag on Notes Compete (after the end of their fiscal year).  They have, by my estimate, spent somewhere near $100 million to try to win over the Notes base, and yet the Notes base is bigger than when MS started.  Now they are attacking in an economic climate that has companies looking for ways to leverage their existing investments, not migrate to new, unproven, expensive ones.  A business partner I talked to yesterday told me that they are working with a Notes 6.5 customer on some new apps for the first time in years.  Another partner told me they had record billings for their Notes add-in tool in the first quarter.

Not everything is rosy.  I'm seeing some shakeout and consolidation in the ecosystem around Notes.  I worry about that, but I think it's a consequence of the economic conditions and timing as much as anything else.  The same is happening in the Microsoft market, where Office/Windows had their first ever revenue decline and the server/tools team saw their growth rate slow and barely even mentioned SharePoint or Exchange in the earnings announcements.  Strong partners with solid business models and market differentiation are doing well.  Meanwhile, the IBM team that works with partners is aggressively moving to put some new plans in place to spur new activity in the channel.

Our execution might be a step behind where you want it to be.  Some areas, like marketing to end-users specifically, are opportunities for additional work versus what we're already working on (and Nathan made this point well earlier).

We're not going to solve everything in a 30 day action plan.  There are a ton of new actions and announcements coming in the month of May.  Some of them will immediately impact the market while others will demonstrate ongoing strategic value and commitment.  We'll keep taking your ideas as input, too.  The reason I blog every day continues today in this job to be as strong a motivator for me as it was six years ago.  The feedback you all provide is critical to the success of Notes -- it is what has made the difference for the last four years, really.  Please keep it coming... please keep it professional....please keep brainstorming new ideas.  We will keep doing what we can, challenging each other inside of IBM, raising discussions outside, and sharing the effort to keep Notes winning in the market.  Thanks.

Ed Brill Toronto, ONT Canada Category:  People  Add/View Comments [94]

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  1. 1  Rishi  | 4/29/2009 12:52:57 AM

    Very fair post Ed.LN can grow only when we work as a family,still few stupids are there who work in LN but abuse everyday everywhere.

  1. 2  Gregg Smith http://twitter.com/greggasmith | 4/29/2009 12:57:04 AM

    I'd love to hear you publish something along the same lines and get your opinion on the comparisons of the hosted competitive offerings.

  1. 3  Scott Hooks http://twitter.com/scotthooks | 4/29/2009 1:06:24 AM

    Thanks for posting this Ed. It's good to hear that the Notes/Domino team is planning to influence business users outside of IT. We've heard that before, but I hope with these new efforts we will see more impact. And let's not forget the rest of the Lotus product portfolio as Nathan mentioned.

    To Nathan's point, almost every IBM sales rep/manager I work with still views IT as their key group of contacts. The feedback I get when I suggest talking to the LOB is that it's not that they don't WANT to break that pattern, but rather that they simply can't figure out how to do it effectively. That seems to me to be less reflective of their capabilities, and more indicative of the top-down guidance they receive further dissuaded by a lack of marketing to act as a door opener with the LOB. So perhaps there is a larger cultural change to contend with, and it would be unreasonable to expect you to be the force of that level of change. I can empathize, I struggle with the same thing (that is, just getting a non-IT person to take a meeting). I don't have a panacea, but I can tell you that it FEELS like if Lotus was being more effectively marketed to end users and LOB leaders, I'd have a greater likelihood of getting that meeting. It's sort of funny but true that it sometimes feels like the farther I can get in a conversation before I say the word "Lotus" (or even IBM), the more success I have. I wish that weren't the case. A stigma still exists out there.

    Similarly, I thought I'd share some related feedback that I've just started to encounter recently in competitive situations. Not less than 3 times over the past 2 months, I have heard something to the tune of "we just don't see much affordable Lotus expertise out there, but I can easily find Microsoft experts." I can talk about how there are over 10,000 global BP's and make the case that Lotus solutions enable them to do more with fewer resources, they get what they pay for, etc., but it seems to fall on deaf ears. The undertone of what they are saying is "I don't have confidence that there will be long-term accessible support for Lotus." The BP and loyal customer communities have heard the message to the contrary, but it has yet to effectively reach the masses.

    We know we have the better solution in many if not most cases - we (all of us) just have to be more effective at getting that message out there enough to open the doors to have the conversations with the right people.

  1. 4  Peter Wilson  | 4/29/2009 1:42:27 AM

    Probably extreamly hard, given IBM likes (and spends on) broad marketing themes like 'Smarter Planet', but I'd like to see IBM market some of the Lotus products directly in mainstream media - full page adverts, billboards.

    ie. Lotus Notes: More than email and SHOW the latest user user interface. Not two guys standing around looking lost or something.

    or Sametime: Enterprise Instant Messaging. And SHOW the user interface

    Likewise with Quickr, Connections etc.

    A picture tells a thousand words. I liked the Denis Leary adverts in the R5 days :-)

    Pete

  1. 5  Gavin Bollard http://dominogavin.blogspot.com | 4/29/2009 3:49:11 AM

    I've actually been enjoying the fact that you've not been so defensive of late. Personally I'm in favour of a (limited edit rights) wiki which deals with most of the common FUD and which doesn't need constant updating. Eg: A "Busting the Notes is Dead Myth" would only need to be updated once per year with the growth figures.

    I don't see any reason why you need to constantly reiterate things. Why not simply say; "It's been said before. It's false, it's FUD. Refer to this link."

    IBM have better things to do than play MS Games.

    I've also been pretty happy with the way things at IBM/Lotus have been going in the last few years. I've seen real attempts to try different tactics and had amazing levels of engagement from IBM Personnel. Your team (and their business partners) in Australia really need to be congratulated.

    If I were to level any criticism, it would only be that I'd like to see you release Foundations. I've found a business use for it but it's hard to recommend a product that isn't readily available in the country.

  1. 6  Graham Dodge http://www.bcd.net.au | 4/29/2009 5:03:01 AM

    @5 Amen to that Gavin...

  1. 7  Michael Kobrowski  | 4/29/2009 6:29:11 AM

    @Ed - great job. Keep it coming - keep thinking outside the blue or yellow box.

    @4 - billboards? full page adverts? Isn't that a bit old media? How much $ or % of budget does IBM spend with Google ads? If you want to get new people, young people to remember that Lotus Notes Domino is more than email, or still growing strong, thats where you need to go.

    Let me check, is there a facebook page.....

  1. 8  Brett Young http://collaborationtech.blogspot.com/ | 4/29/2009 6:36:34 AM

    One difference I would like to see is more investment by IBM to integrate the Notes e-mail client with SharePoint. For every Outlook web part, there should be a comparable Lotus Notes web part. I would like a web part for the inbox, day-at-a-glance, to dos, and contacts. There are a lot of Notes shops out there who have settled on SharePoint as a portal. The fact that IBM is shipping SharePoint web parts for Connections is promising. Keep it up! Don't stop there! Don't make the fact we're a SharePoint shop force us away from Notes.

  1. 9  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 7:08:21 AM

    @7 - If you're talking about influencing young people, I suspect Google ads are one of the least effective approaches to take. Every person I know that's immersed in web technology has learned to very effectively tune out those ad blocks on pages.

    @Ed - Forgive me the tacky move of cross-posting a comment, but my reply to you on my own blog seems fitting here as well. (In fact, I think I'll lock comments and direct people to this thread instead.)

    <i>"The problem is what message is being heard by the users who influence the decisions and right now it's not much. So we need to change that."

    You're almost there, Ed. Really really close.

    You said "users who influence the decisions." Good sir, that is EVERY USER. From the Chairman of the Board right down to the custodial staff.

    Lotus (and IBM in general) have been breaking their asses for two decades now with one theme in mind: flatten organizations. Every piece of collaborative and social software technology that's been brought to market is about making each individual a more effective contributor to whatever collective they're participating in.

    Well guess what? IT WORKED. It worked because IBM and MSFT and Google and a host of others have all done a brilliant job of designing technology that causes good ideas to resonate in everything from 1-man companies communicating with 1000s of customers to large enterprises to entire global communities of volunteers and stakeholders.

    Collaborative technology is the great democratizer of the last decade, and IBM has been a leading edge contributor to its success.

    Now the market strategy has to match the brilliance of the technology. If every person on the planet is empowered to make their ideas matter through software, they need the right INPUT on those ideas. And right now, there's no input from IBM. That's the missing piece.

    I'm not saying "get the message to managers outside IT." I'm saying "get the message to ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY." Because that's what you've created with the technology: a world where every voice, every idea, every contribution has the power to shape the course of any institution, including the whole of civilization.</i>

  1. 10  Darren Duke http://blog.darrenduke.net | 4/29/2009 7:29:44 AM

    @3, then lower your prices ;)

    All humor aside (and to echo @5 in the US), since Bob took over as GM I've seen as a BP a marked difference in the way Lotus is attacking and ignoring (for the better) all the FUD. All the way through the organization, top to bottom. Excellent to see.

    However (there is always a "however"), EWeek gets delivered to the STS Galactic HQ and to my surprise I see on the front cover, the full front cover at that, "Exchange 2010 - from the eweek labs" (or something close to that). "Hum", says me, why wasn't Domino 8.5 the MOST SIGNIFICANT Domino server release EVER also given that treatment? Advertising? Nope, both MS and IBM has approx the same number of ad spots in the last 3 issues. So what is it? How does MS do this? When will IBM start to flex its muscle too and get the likes of EWeek to put Domino or Connections or Quickr on the front cover? All this talk about end users is wasted. Yes, wasted until IBM/Lotus get the IT press to take the Lotus portfolio from the "little box in the corner, other options and also rans section" to full issue reviews. Get products on the front cover. Get articles covered about the interop between Notes, Quickr, Sametime, Connections. Crap, that could (should) be a whole issue. Lets start to really convince IT (via the press) that the MS FUD is false and the key Lotus products are alive, kicking and way better than the competition. If IT believe Domino is dead, it doesn't matter how may "end-users" request the product.

    Exchange 2010 isn't even a real product yet, and already they are getting mind share, thanks to "previews". Argh!

  1. 11  Jim Casale http://www.jimcasale.net | 4/29/2009 7:49:50 AM

    @Darren "Advertising? Nope, both MS and IBM has approx the same number of ad spots in the last 3 issues."

    I am not sure how it works in print advertising but one reason I think MS has mind share is the barrage of meaningless commercials on TV. I had wanted to document how many times a MS commercial was replayed over and over on a Saturday morning but I lost count. The commercial says how the company estimates the company is saving thousands of pounds by using Microsoft. No information to back it up - just a repetitive onslaught of the message "Save money by using Microsoft". the commercial doesn't even mention any MS products.

    Only IT professionals read IT magazines. Everyone (OK..maybe not developers :-) ) watch TV. I would suggest that besides what IBM is already doing (which I think is changing for the better) is to direct more attention to TV ads that cover all demographics -IT professionals, Management, and End Users. Just my 2 cents...

  1. 12  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 7:59:18 AM

    @10 - "All this talk about end users is wasted. Yes, wasted until IBM/Lotus get the IT press to take the Lotus portfolio from the "little box in the corner, other options and also rans section" to full issue reviews."

    IT Press? Are you kidding? There is no such thing. For exactly the reasons you mention. Who the hell reads eWeek anymore? Their circulation numbers are in the toilet.

    Modern IT departments implement the solutions demanded by users. This is the great lesson of every competitive switch that Lotus has lost over the last 8 years: "Our users want Outlook" or "The CEO wants to use his iPhone." These are not IT-driven initiatives -- they're democratic ones.

    If you want eWeek to do a cover story on Lotus technology, make Lotus technology into *news.* Make it news by getting everyone, not just IT, talking about it. Better still, don't work towards an eWeek cover story -- work towards a Business Week cover story. Or even better, a WIRED cover story.

  1. 13  Darren Duke http://blog.darrenduke.net | 4/29/2009 8:06:12 AM

    @11, OK but with the exception of the MS NRP Radio adds, they suck just as much as IBM do.

    My point here is that you don't sell a new weapons system to a private in the the army. You sell it to the Generals. Burying our collective heads in the sand doesn't negate the fact that IT are still, and will continue to be, the General in this equation.

    We have to wrestle mind share at two points:

    1) With IT (the General)

    and

    2) With SMB (the newly crowned dictator)

    The only common denominator that I see for (1) is the press. How many IT bathrooms have you seen the magazines in the stalls? This is where the battle takes place, in the crapper ;)

    For (2), well.....

  1. 14  Keith Brooks http://www.vanessabrooks.com | 4/29/2009 8:17:12 AM

    @3 says it properly. We also get a deer in the headlight look when quoting estimates sometimes. The reason is how you are selling, if you are not selling the value, you lose the sale as too expensive.

    On the flip side, some say they only can pay XX and although you and I can say they get what they pay for, there are some partners or consultants who really do charge as low as $20 /hr for projects.

    So when one wants to bill at $100, 150, 200 or more it's not surprising that customers scratch their head.

    Also, as one knows if you don't have agreement yet, don't give prices. It spells disaster.

  1. 15  John Rowland http://enterprisingnotes.blogspot.com | 4/29/2009 8:38:38 AM

    @3 @12 "I struggle with the same thing (that is, just getting a non-IT person to take a meeting). I don't have a panacea, but I can tell you that it FEELS like if Lotus was being more effectively marketed to end users and LOB leaders, I'd have a greater likelihood of getting that meeting."

    Our IT shop is segregated. One major LOB group is firmly in the .Net/MS camp by choice. Our corporate IT programming group is also .Net/MS by mandate. Our messaging IT group is just a solidly sold on Notes/Domino.

    The programming folks and those from the user community (middle managers quite often) who express any opinion at all are usually pressuring us. Most end users just don't know or care either way. Bottom line, we're playing defense.

    The "bottom up" approach, in this case, puts us in a position of defending what we believe in, rather than being able to demonstrate added capabilities.

    When I worked in the SMB world, the business owners talked to each other, trade associations, etc. Those B2B relationships are factors in the SMB decision maker's mind.

  1. 16  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 8:40:36 AM

    @13 - Thank you for perfectly illustrating my original blog point. :-)

    If the technology strategy is the right one, then the collective voice of the privates is vastly more important and impactful than the voice of the general. Decisions are the outcome of bottom-up influence and demand, not top-down directives. That is the entire point of blogs, wikis, IM, emails, mashups, widgets, composites -- it's the democratization of business decisions.

    IBM's fundamental mistake is designing technology for privates and selling it to generals. Or, for a better analogy, coming out with an new Hannah Montana CD and selling it to grandmothers. Sure, some grandmothers might realize "this would make my granddaughter happy" and buy it -- but that's not nearly as effective as promoting the CD on Nickelodeon or ABC Family. Then the kids will nag their parents and grandparents to go buy it for them. And that's how multi-billion dollar brands are built in just a few months.

    No business user gives a crap about IT's opinion on technology. They care some about cost, but they care a lot more about whether what they're using makes them happy and effective. That determination isn't made by IT. It's made by the user. And then it's shared among users, through blogs, wikis, emails, IMs, forums, and every other kind of social software that IBM has been frantically building and releasing over the last 5 years.

    There are no generals, Darren. There are just politicians who act in accordance with the demand of their constituents.

  1. 17  Neil Wainwright http://www.nexonia.com | 4/29/2009 9:04:39 AM

    Hey Ed. I think you and IBM are moving things along quite nicely. You have a lot of code to move along too. I'd echo other comments over the last while about not going from fad to fad. I'm dating myself, but the whole Websphere thing and the whole "Java is the future" thing really took a lot of resources and focus of what really matters...building a great product that does great things. IBM already has in the existing programming models (xPages too) all it needs to provide awesome solutions to its customers. Yes, they need to be extended, but not replaced. Yes, they UI needs to probably advance as far again as it has in the last 2 years.

    I believe IBM will get there. Your leadership and those of other will get IBM there. It's a long slog, but the ship started heading in the right direction with the release of 8.5. I'm watching mostly on the sidelines now, but I do watch (and cheer).

    ...Neil

  1. 18  Darren Duke http://blog.darrenduke.net | 4/29/2009 9:08:50 AM

    @16, "democratization"? Hardly. Whose budget do these "directives" come out of. Usually IT. You show me a IT Department Manager (not CIO, they are usually irrelevant to these decision until asked to sign the check) who runs a democracy. IT departments (and organizations as a whole) are built in a quasi military fashion in order to control.

    Not saying this is right but right now this is the way of the world.

  1. 19  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 9:16:55 AM

    @18 - Darren, if you're right, then IBM's product strategy over the last 3 years has been completely and utterly wrong. Keeping users happy and effective doesn't matter. Products should be designed by IT and for IT. If the thing that matter is the "IT decision maker" then he or she should be the audience for the product design. And absolutely everything should be about reducing TCO.

    It's one or the other.

  1. 20  Michael Kobrowski  | 4/29/2009 9:20:00 AM

    @18, not every company is run like that.

    Actually, none I have been in have been run like that in my 20+ year IT career.... how about others? Opinions?

  1. 21  Karl-Henry Martinsson http://www.bleedyellow.com/blogs/texasswede | 4/29/2009 9:35:59 AM

    @10: Regarding IT press... I used to work full time at a IT magazine (now I am just freelancing). There are a few reasons the journalists/editors choose a particular story as news.

    1) How news-worthy is it? Is there something significantly new, or major changes from a previous version?

    2) Is this somethings our readers care about?

    3) Are we getting some kind of exclusive news, or more information earlier than our competitors?

    In regard to item #2, this is how the (often non-technical) journalist understands it. A new mail server from Microsoft will get much better coverage than a new version of Sendmail. Because the journalist already have the perception that "everyone is using Microsoft products". This in turn is partially based on all the TV ads and press releases sent out by Microsoft.

    @12: I totally agree with Nathan here. Management comes to IT and tell them "we want this". The users get their own iPhones and then demand to be able to read their work mail on it. Domino not supporting iPhone fully, replicating down the mail locally? Management start thinking about getting something that does, like Exchange.

    This is how teh company I work at choose a half-million dollar document imaging system: The CEO went to school at nights to get his MBA. One of his classmates said "we use Xyz Imaging System, it is really good". CEO came back and said "we will get Xyz Imaging System. Make it so. Now." and there was nothing IT could do.

    If the CEO came and said "We will start using Sametime and Quickr", it would happen. If he sees ads on TV at night for Sharepoint or MS products, he might come and say "Sharepoint will save us money, get rid of Notes", and it might actually happen.

    But as Nathan say, today it is a democratic way how programs get selected at companies.

    @13: You say no weapons system is choosen by the privates, you sell to the generals. True, in most cases. But there have been items initially bought individually by solders, which later was issued by the military after the generals saw the benefits of it. I believe the Ka-Bar knives started like that. But the military and business also work in a slightly different way.

  1. 22  Craig Boudreaux  | 4/29/2009 9:41:48 AM

    I hope to see the results of this 'Doing things different', but my hopes are dashed with comments like "Software vendors do not run TV ads for specific products." { Link }

    Even though Apple, Intuit, and Microsoft do, -- what's that 4-year old doing? { Link }

    Never mind the simplicity of the MS ad, previous setup required, etc. Do you know how many people REMEMBER that ad and are impressed that a 4-year-old can do that?

    I don't think the current "Smarter Planet" ads make an impression or tell the consumer anything about the actual products. I'd like to ask people about their impression of the ad, but I can't remember even seeing them outside of Lotusphere. ( I think I did once...maybe?)

    @3 the ease of finding talent seems to be a tough one. We've struggled with that as well not being in a technology center, there's MS experienced talent, but LN is a grow-it-your-own or use expensive services. Not sure this can change unless IBM pushes to the colleges more, which doesn't happen unless they can convince the colleges that's what's needed in the workforce. So this isn't a phase one strategy. Successful marketing would have to be phase one.

    I agree with Nathan, I wish that we would start seeing some of this promised "Air Cover". If the people are seeing the product (which includes the generals) and talking about the product, it would filter up.

  1. 23  David Jones http://www.bleedyellow.com/blogs/jonesy/ | 4/29/2009 9:56:54 AM

    I think Nathan is nailing it. While IT does maintain some control over what technologies are used in the company they can always be trumped by others (company owners, CEOs) and the "end users" know this and they know if they talk/grumble/whatever long enough and loud enough that they have a good chance of getting their way (providing it isn't some massive change/request).

  1. 24  Darren Duke http://blog.darrenduke.net | 4/29/2009 10:00:51 AM

    @21, very good insight into the IT Journo. And I will rest my case on the "Everyone uses MS Products" because the Journos believe "Everyone uses MS Products".

    Now this democracy thing, maybe I'm missing the point but a CxO mandating the use of a product is anything but democratic { Link } . There is no vote, not blog, no wiki, it just is. Period. Pretty undemocratic really. But that is the way the world really works.

    @19 & @21 have a valid point, maybe the issue is a two pronged assault, Generals and Privates.

  1. 25  Rock  | 4/29/2009 10:04:23 AM

    I think one of the basic issues I have with your perspective Ed is that it is largely "inward facing". The moves you make are visible to whom? The EXISTING Lotus community, and the EXISTING customer base. You're preaching to the converted.

    Contrast this with MS. They make it a point, every day and in every way, to get in the faces of the masses. They create buzz. They advertise their asses off. They get writers in mainstream publications to write fluff pieces touting their latest toy or magic trick. They attack their competitors incessantly - whether the attacks are based in truth or not.

    One of the most frustrating things for the BP community is that the mindset of IBM/Lotus is to take the "high road". To attempt to stay "above the fray". Well, taking the high road allows those on the low road to dictate reality. People believe the MS hype because there isn't a concerted, widespread and visible effort to refute their BS.

    It is time to engage, Ed. I know we've (collectively) said these same things for years, arguing the same topics, but maybe that's because it's true.

    IBM needs to engage.

  1. 26  Ryan Case http://www.caseinnovations.com | 4/29/2009 10:09:46 AM

    Ed - can you provide any figures just for the US on added Notes seats since 2004 (or beyond). It just doesn't feel like we're adding seats in the US, but maybe Europe is? Or maybe it's just a midwest thing, where I am. I'd just be interested to see a geographic breakdown, or if nothing else, by continent. Thanks.

  1. 27  John Rowland http://enterprisingnotes.blogspot.com | 4/29/2009 11:06:58 AM

    @25 Yes. Perhaps the MS edge is that they don't have an either/or mentality -- either generals or privates. They full court press all the time.

    I believe IBM/Lotus needs to have the same thinking and if there are not enough resources to do it, figure out how to make it happen via grassroots or "viral" (in today-speak) methods -- collaborating with OpenNTF, bringing templates up to snuff, publishing the logic of templates to make, for instance, detaching the calendar logic from a mail file to create a group calendar, etc. etc.

  1. 28  Henning Heinz  | 4/29/2009 11:46:36 AM

    Even the so hated Radicati study said that IBM is going to add seats. There was just an assumption that the growth is far outpaced by the competition and that those just add many more seats than IBM does.

  1. 29  Eric Mack http://www.NotesOnProductivity.com | 4/29/2009 11:57:10 AM

    This comment cross-posted from Nathan's blog to join this discussion:

    My response was in the context of the fact that, in my observation, IBM apparently has no interest in marketing to end-users, only IT. I hope this helps...

    I'm glad that I ignore the fact that IBM appears to neglect small businesses when marketing Lotus branded product, like Notes. I recommend it anyway.

    16 years ago, when I set up David Allen on Notes, he had a 3-person organization. We both concluded that Lotus Notes was a product that could meet his then-current needs as well as his planned growth. 16 years later, the company is still a small organization SMB-Wise but has people and offices located around the world. Lotus Notes is the glue that keeps The David Allen Company running.

    I do wish that IBM would address these markets, and I know that Ed's recently blogged about this. I look forward to reading the announcements that Ed mentioned in today's blog post.

    I think the SMB and personal market represents a significant opportunity for IBM, not only for short-term sales but for long-term mindshare.

    It's been interesting to not how many (non Notes) people have contacted me to inquire about Lotus Notes since we launched eProductivity { Link } We never intended this as a product to encourage users to move to Notes or switch from Outlook, yet it's happening in small numbers - without much promotion. While we are certainly no threat to Microsoft at this point, I cannot help but wonder what opportunity might exist if IBM were to go after productivity minded individuals and small businesses with Lotus Notes. If they did, I'd be right there beating the drums, and David Allen would probably join in as well.

    I think this would be a good thing for all of us in the Notes community.

    Eric Mack

  1. 30  Eric Mack http://www.NotesOnProductivity.com | 4/29/2009 11:59:26 AM

    @26 It would be interesting to see real numbers. Customer don't buy it anymore when I say # Notes seats growing, so I usually tell them, "Here's what IBM says, let's assume that they have only 50 active Notes users - that's still stable".

    I wish there were a place that I could point them to with actual numbers.

  1. 31  Kevin Pettitt http://www.lotusguru.com | 4/29/2009 12:30:23 PM

    @3 - Yes, the whole "we can't find enough Notes talent" roadblock does exist, and *really* needs to be countered with the point that you don't need as many people to maintain a Lotus infrastructure and build apps vis a vis Microsoft.

    Unfortunately, the logical extension that it is worth paying more money individually to fewer Lotus professionals (because they are inherently a better value) runs up against pre-industrial era notions of worker pay that don't factor in such wide variation in individual productivity. Everyone "gets" that it's worth paying more to someone able to use better tools (e.g. a power drill) than someone who can only handle simpler ones (e.g. a pick axe). We need to make it clear that the Lotus tools are just that much better than the MS ones and I think people will come around.

  1. 32  Kevin Pettitt http://www.lotusguru.com | 4/29/2009 12:44:40 PM

    @25 - Yes IBM needs to engage, and from the sounds of things they are gearing up for something of the sort. If there is some hesitation at the moment, it may simply be a matter of wanting to have enough of the right ammunition stockpiled. In other words, the technology itself needs to be truly ready for the limelight that an effective campaign would bring. As I've said before, Lotus only has one chance at making a second first impression on those who already know about Notes and think it is crap. Waiting for the significant performance improvements coming in the 8.5.1 client is probably a good idea, for example. Getting the crap 16-color database icons out of people's faces would be helpful too, though 8.5.1 is probably optimistic there.

  1. 33  Eric Mack http://www.NotesOnProductivity.com | 4/29/2009 1:07:57 PM

    I look forward to the things you have mentioned in your blog.

    Keep up the good work!

  1. 34  Tam http://goodadvices.com | 4/29/2009 1:23:29 PM

    I'm one of those tiny, unimportant, single license Notes users (both on Mac and PC) and I only got excited about Notes because of Eric Mack's eProductivity software. The combination of the two has completely obliterated any thoughts I might have about ever going back to Outlook, Apple Mail & OmniFocus.

    My conversation with Eric Mack at the GTD Summit was the best ad I could have ever heard. In 5 minutes, he dispelled every myth I'd had and corrected every wrong impression...

    However, I feel very much alone in the Lotusphere because I have had trouble getting the help I need when I get stuck. All the answers I find seem to come back to: talk to your system admin.(I am the SysAdmin! I don't have an IT department at home. Plus, none of it is Mac-specific.) That's not going to make me change back to my old system, but it has begun to affect my enthusiasm for a product I was completely enamored with about a month ago.

    This probably raises more questions than it answers, but since everyone was so focused on big business, I just wanted to put an alternate scenario out there.

  1. 35  Christer Eklundh  | 4/29/2009 1:29:06 PM

    @32 - "...Waiting for the significant performance improvements coming in the 8.5.1 client is probably a good idea.." Is this true, will there be significant performance improvements in Notes 8.5.1?

  1. 36  Keil Wilson  | 4/29/2009 1:56:10 PM

    @22 - "Software vendors do not run TV ads for specific products"

    I beg to differ. Intuit certainly runs ads for Quicken and Quickbooks. I also see tons of TV ads for Rosetta Stone. While I agree that IBM should be using advertisements to establish and maintain its brand, I think the end goal is to actually sell IBM products. A company like Proctor & Gamble or General Electric will run brand ads touting the innovation, quality or reliability of the stuff they make, but they also run product ads for things like Pepto-Bismol, Duracell batteries and Soft White light bulbs.

    When people say they miss the days of the SUPER.HUMAN.SOFTWARE or Dennis Leary advertisements, I think what they're saying that they miss that time period when Lotus and IBM used to market Lotus Notes/Domino as an individual product as opposed to just marketing the IBM/Lotus brand. People miss that time when individuals (even non-IT people) were excited by the possibility that Lotus Notes might help inspire them and improve they way the work. If anything, the newer versions of Notes hold even more possibility for them, so why are so many people completely disaffected by the mention Lotus Notes?

  1. 37  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 4/29/2009 2:30:39 PM

    When I say that software vendors do not run TV ads for specific products:

    1) Interestingly, the only responses trying to prove it wrong are from the US

    2) Nobody brings a business-oriented product. Quicken is sold to individuals **as a primary market**. For that matter, so is much of the MS stuff that is advertised on TV (look at MS financials -- guess how much money they make on OEM installed versions of Office vs. selling to corporates...then understand their strategy). TV ads for software products not typically bought by individuals...those are what i'm talking about, but they don't exist.

  1. 38  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 2:52:57 PM

    @37 - So let me get this straight: the argument is that business software vendors don't run TV ads for specific products? How many business software vendors are there with more than one specific product? 5? 10?

    Is it so inconceivable that IBM should be a leader in this space? I thought IBMers were innovators, not imitators.

    I can't think of a worse reason to refrain from doing something than "well, nobody else is doing it."

  1. 39  Bill http://www.billbuchan.com | 4/29/2009 3:04:49 PM

    Confused. The blog title says 'doing things different' yet this is the same 'Why doesn't IBM market notes' defense thats been here since - well, here, was here.

    Oh. (drum roll, picks up torch)

    Here, Nathan, its yours. Its the 'Cares enough about the product to spend all day on Brills Blog talking about IBM's lack of Marketing torch'. Its yours..

    ;-)

    --* Bill

  1. 40  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 3:22:09 PM

    I don't carry torches except for my wife and kid, Bill. I prefer my bridges unburned, thx.

    @37 - For the record, I would be happy with non-TV product-specific ads that appeared in some place other than "middle manager magazine" and actually showed a product and feature set instead of a bunch of people in a cubicle trying to shoot someone out of cannon.

  1. 41  Eric Mack http://www.NotesOnProductivity.com | 4/29/2009 3:25:15 PM

    @37, @38, @39 we have an end-user (@34) who took the time to post her experience. Many companies would love to have that kind of feedback and input from an end user.

    I wonder what can be done to better serve her and people like her? If @34 leaves this discussion convinced that IBM cares and can help, she will probably tell others. If she leaves (and I have no idea if she will refresh to read responses)how many people will she share her experience with?

  1. 42  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 4/29/2009 3:31:43 PM

    @38 I'm saying that, perhaps possibly, it's not done because it's not effective advertising for the market and decision makers we are trying to reach... you know, those generals you were talking about earlier. Why should IBM go out front and do something here if it isn't going to accomplish the intended result????

    @39 Thanks for stopping by.

    @31 I saw her comment and I understand her dilemma, Eric. You are already talking with us about what we can do differently here, please give it time to actually happen before pushing the button again.

    @34 Tam, Eric is right, we are not oriented enough to supporting individual end-users. I would like to be able to do something more like the Symphony part of our website (symphony.lotus.com) but we will take some time to get to that. My team is trying to make some short-term website adjustments to help you and others like you.

  1. 43  Eric Mack http://www.NotesOnProductivity.com | 4/29/2009 3:32:08 PM

    Nathan,

    IBM spent $$$ creating viral ads., How do I know they were viral? Because IBM told me. (Good thing they did, because no one else did).

    I have an idea:

    What if IBM collected testimonials from end users and posted them on YouTube. Why not take people like @34 and interview them and follow them as they experience the

    benefits of Notes?

    End-users telling end-users what they like. Interesting.

  1. 44  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 4/29/2009 3:35:26 PM

    @43, Eric, isn't that precisely what we did on the YouTube "Collaborate4You" channel that I blogged about a week ago, and NOBODY commented on??!?!?!

    { Link }

  1. 45  Charles Robinson http://www.cubert.net | 4/29/2009 3:38:26 PM

    Maybe it's just me, but I have no idea what this Smarter Planet thing is. I've never seen it or heard of it. I get my IT news from Google News, ComputerWorld newsletters, and some blogs. I can't recall any IBM ads.

    In fact, I can't remember any IBM ads from the last two to three years. I'm not saying they aren't out there, probably even in the stuff I'm reading, and I'm not saying I haven't seen them. I'm saying I don't *remember* them.

    Some ads stick, some don't, and some do for good reasons. None of the IBM ads I can remember from the last 5 years are ones I want to remember.

    @37 - SAP does TV spots fairly often. I only have a vague idea that SAP does, and the ads don't go into specifics, but I do know it's definitely not consumer-oriented. I think it actually says something like "90 of the Fortune 100 run on SAP".

  1. 46  Carlos  | 4/29/2009 3:41:53 PM

    Notes is a swiss army knife in disguise. All to often it can do the job and meet the needs of a business. However, there may be specialized applications out there that might do a better job. Notes has a huge up side. It is versatile enough to meet the needs of enterprise clients. Where things fall short, is when a team or individual tries to explain how Notes may solve a business requirement. All to often, the dialog is vaporware. A concept or product-to-be-developed. This will often lead decisions makers and key staker holders to a solution that does not include Notes where a tangible product can be demonstrated. I have used Notes for the better part of my career and find that IT organizations(includes me)do not do a good job of training end-users. Notes has an extensive feature set that most end-users have never even heard of. This is a huge mistake on the part of IT departments as well as Notes. We need to educate users to utilized the undiscovered functionality in Notes.

    In the mean time, Microsoft has hired many former executives and engineers from Lotus in an attempt to leverage some of the technology and customer base. Five to eight years later, they are still struggling with the same issues. In my opinion Notes is still the clear product of choice.

  1. 47  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 4/29/2009 3:44:37 PM

    @45 Yes, that's my point. IBM does lots of TV ads, too (anyone watch the Masters?). But they are like the SAP ads...they are NOT about specific products (SAP has more than one product).

  1. 48  Eric Mack http://www.NotesOnProductivity.com | 4/29/2009 3:56:19 PM

    Ed, in response to #44, this is great! Not sure how I missed that one, but I will go watch the videos and I will add it to the queue to blog about. Thanks for the link.

  1. 49  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 3:59:16 PM

    @42 - "I'm saying that, perhaps possibly, it's not done because it's not effective advertising for the market and decision makers we are trying to reach..."

    You mean the implementers who don't actually make the decisions. At least in the companies that successfully use your technologies and those like it.

    "you know, those generals you were talking about earlier."

    Right. The obsolete ones.

    "Why should IBM go out front and do something here if it isn't going to accomplish the intended result????"

    Fair enough. IBM should first change its misguided intentions. If you build products for privates, you should sell to privates. :-)

  1. 50  Karie Burns  | 4/29/2009 3:59:25 PM

    Living in Seattle, I've been one of the very few Lotus advocates in MS's backyard for some time now. When the Exchange vs. Lotus debate comes up, the only points the MS advocate has is that MS has the marketing, the user perception, and the forever promise that the next version will deliver (it will be secure, it will have functionality...).

    Our new East Coast parent company is working on a Lotus to Exchange migration. The reason given for the switch was because they wanted to use the product (Exchange) that was more popular and "in" regardless of the severe loss of functionality. The only good thing from this is that a couple of the Exchange drones are beginning to admit that Lotus does have advantages.

    One of my favorite statements:

    Microsoft is the Starbucks of software. Horrible product that is just marketed very well.

  1. 51  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 4:00:06 PM

    @47 - SAP doesn't have more than one product in the sense that IBM does. They don't even have more than one product in the sense that Lotus does.

  1. 52  Steven Kennett  | 4/29/2009 4:01:28 PM

    Lotus Notes/Domino is the better all-in-one product. However, many companies don't use the database functionality and one reason is because they don't know the capabilities, another is because they don't have the resource. Many learn exchange as part of an MCSA or MCSE, which is not the case for the CLP, so there is much more readily available resource for exchange.

    One thought though is that I work for a company providing Services and Solutions, we have quite a wide customer base but I would say Exchange/Outlook is 80/20 when it comes to the email system, not sure why that is. But, should IBM be marketing how good an "Email" system Domino/Lotus Notes is? Hitting the customers that don't need all the collaboration

    Maybe if the email side of things were sold a bit more strongly you would have more companies rather than the companies with lots of seats!

  1. 53  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 4/29/2009 4:04:43 PM

    @51 but their ads don't show their product :-)

  1. 54  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 4:16:58 PM

    @53 - "Nobody else is doing it, so why should we?"

  1. 55  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 4/29/2009 4:20:56 PM

    Nate, find me the study that shows effectivness and then I'll listen. NB: who watches commercials anymore anyway, other than during live events? I've read several articles portending the decline of TV advertising, yet it wouldn't be a normal month on edbrill.com without someone in the US saying that TV advertising will solve al ills.

  1. 56  Brett H  | 4/29/2009 4:38:01 PM

    @49 sorry... can't ... resist!

    I had no idea IBM made products for people's privates...

  1. 57  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 4:42:08 PM

    @55 - Find me the study that shows the effectiveness of doing something no one's ever done before? Way to be ahead of the curve.

    Apple's sold less than 20 million iPhones. They advertise the AppStore in primetime television spots. Now look here: { Link }

    Yup... a BILLION apps downloaded from the app store with 20 million users. Apple won't publish it's revenue numbers from the store, but analyst estimates are at $800 million this year.

    Rumor has it that you have over 100 million users.

    Hmmmmm...

    Did Apple wait for a case study to tell them that they could create a market by showing just how happy and effective users could be with their product?

  1. 58  Brett H  | 4/29/2009 4:44:14 PM

    The youtube "vignettes" are great! How about showing them on a medium where people dont have to actively go looking for them.

    Sorry mate but as good as they are, it's more of the same. Preaching to the choir. Only if one is looking for a Youtube video about Lotus then will you find them. Otherwise they are lost in the static like everything else. Those "vignettes" as you call them should be included in an add campaign, not buried alive in the bowels of Youtube only to be found by the faithful.

  1. 59  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 4:51:42 PM

    "it wouldn't be a normal month on edbrill.com without someone in the US saying that TV advertising will solve al ills."

    Allow me to be clear: I'm not saying that TV ads will solve all ills. I'm saying that the reasons offered up for NOT doing them are dumb, and therefore trivial to counter.

    But my actual point is that the current target audience for ANY IBM software marketing effort is the wrong one, because it's contradictory to the product design strategy.

    Frankly, I don't care whether you create end-user awareness through TV, radio, print, billboards, sponsoring local block parties, online ads, astroturfed flash mobs, or paying college students to go streaking down busy streets at rush hour. I just care that you start thinking of your marketing audience as your users, instead of IT.

    The IBM product teams have celebrated their use of personas in setting product direction. We hear all about how products are designed for Samantha, Betty and Ted.

    Tell me, does the marketing team have a set of personas for their target audience?

  1. 60  Eric Mack http://www.NotesOnProductivity.com | 4/29/2009 4:53:57 PM

    Brett got to this point first. The videos are helpful - thanks, Ed! - but why don't we see them on the company web site? I try to read Ed's blog regularly and missed this post. If Ed had not pointed it out, I would not have known. Now, how is an average person supposed to find the video? Did IBM promote this other than Ed's blog?

  1. 61  John Vaughan http://jonvon.net | 4/29/2009 5:03:56 PM

    FWIW I do think there is merit in Nathan's idea. I really liked what they did with the testimonials from Lotusphere 2009. That was awesome.

    I never saw them, but then I don't watch TV. Were they on TV? They got posted to youtube or something I guess? But ya know let's face it, even I could post a video to youtube. Heck my daughter could. It doesn't cost anything. It's certainly not a serious play for market penetration.

    Anyway I do think there is strong merit in marketing to the end user. The perception problem is still out there and revolves around what happens when end users used Notes in versions earlier than 8. When you market to the end user you are also marketing to the generals. They are end users too! Which is why the not-ready-for-business iPhone is making inroads in corporations.

    It's the perception that Notes is difficult or complicated to use that is the problem, that is ingrained in a lot of people's minds.

    We know Notes can do mind bogglingly cool things. And we know that it delivers strong business value. And we know that IBM Lotus is executing like crazy. It's amazing and any time I think about what I am seeing in the past few years I truly want to cheer.

    Nevertheless Nathan and John and... et al do have a point. It would be great if those things that marketing clearly recognized at Lotusphere 2009 were allowed to be brought to market in a more realized way.

    You know what would be awesome? Get Nathan and some of the other DP program folks (or whatever), along with some IBM folks, into a room with Ogilvy or whoever it is makes these commercials, let us talk directly to the creatives. Man we could make you guys some commercials. Seriously. Buy me a plane ticket and a hotel room, I'll take vacation time and go.

  1. 62  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 5:07:12 PM

    ROFL. I just noticed that the Collaboration4You channel's most-watched video is this thing: { Link }

    1,580 views.

    Lotus 911's ad for Notes, produced for < $500 in our warehouse { Link }

    2,125 views

    Viral marketing FTW!

  1. 63  Bill http://www.billbuchan.com | 4/29/2009 5:21:01 PM

    @42, why thank you for noticing.

    Here's a good example as to why IBM Lotus should have laid off everyone with the word 'MARKETING' in their jobtitle, instead of "DEVELOPER".

    THREE mentions of Lotus Notes. This YEAR. In the most-read IT website in the UK. Check em out.

    Quite difficult to 'defend' Lotus Notes with this sort of brand management. So I stopped.

    ---* Bill

  1. 64  Bill http://www.billbuchan.com | 4/29/2009 5:21:57 PM

    Sorry, but the link didn't come through. Here it is again:

    { Link }

    ---* Bill

  1. 65  Brett H  | 4/29/2009 5:23:30 PM

    This has been done before, by whom I can't remember (sorry who-ever it is!) But someone here made some awesome commercials by them self and posted them. As well as a few great (and funny) scripts.

    But of course that was another world... another time... and then the crystal cracked.

  1. 66  Andy Steven http://www.uptime100.com.au | 4/29/2009 5:40:06 PM

    All this talk about ads on TV, goodle, blah blah blah is not needed.

    Look at the sales process.

    99% of IT ideas for an organisation (in SMB) get planted in the head of the managers from their IT supplier.

    E.g. "Hey Fred, if we installed SharePoint we could....."

    Until we get people selling Notes, ads will be useless.

    First step is to market to the resellers etc, this is best done one on one.

    I know here in Adelaide (captial of South Australia, population 2 million) there is only 1, that's right 1! company selling Notes/Domino. Even if we generate some interest, the mass of numbers promoting MS make it a very very very hard sell.

    Also remember one of the biggest buying motivators is doing what every one else is doing. Know one wants to be the only one.

    Do some research sales psychology..

  1. 67  Andy Steven http://www.uptime100.com.au | 4/29/2009 5:44:08 PM

    woops excuse my bad grammer..

    But my point is until we convice the people 'selling IT' to sell Notes our battle is very hard.

  1. 68  Brett H  | 4/29/2009 5:54:39 PM

    Tim has a great concept over on his blog regarding this.

    { Link }

    "Can your email account do all that? If not, ask your boss why your company isn't using Lotus Notes..."

    Freakin' brilliant! Go after the "Generals" through their "Privates"

    Again from Tim's blog...

    "Imagine if that commercial aired during American Idol, and the next day, every manager at some Exchange shop had 3 of his employees ask why they have to have 8 different Windows applications open just to do their job, when they could alternatively just use Notes. If that commercial kept airing (or others like it soon followed), each of those users would get increasingly annoyed each time they have to perform some occupational task requiring them to launch some application that exists solely for the purpose of performing that one tiny minute task."

  1. 69  Michael Kobrowski  | 4/29/2009 6:46:05 PM

    @68 - love it, will subscribe to Tim's blog.

    Btw, Lotus already affected by that Apple marketing we are talking about. Why else would they be pushing Lotus Traveler to be working with the iPhone?

    So IBM Lotus being pushed by the marketing to "Privates", not only Generals. Pushed by Apple. I am sure pushed by Microsoft on somethings (Full Active X Dir support?).

    Lets see if IBM can turn things around and push others - by taking the smart road. (not high, not low....)

    It seems to work for Apple to push into the business market that way. 1 billion apps downloaded.

    Show how easy Lotus Notes can be with 8.5 and widgets and applications from 3rd party vendors that you can easily buy in the Notes or BigBlueStore (BBS? nah..that sounds a bit old fashioned). Show how easy a SMB can setup a Foundation Server, which has everything you need.

    Yes, during American Idol, the world race show, Soccer World Cup 2010 and others.

    Go for it!

  1. 70  Henning Heinz  | 4/29/2009 6:50:34 PM

    I fully agree with @66 but I am a bit irritated. If I understand correct the Notes business has been on a steady growth path for years and many IBM Partners are busy even in this economic climate. Migrations rarely ever happen and IBM is winning over Microsoft every day. So where is the problem?

  1. 71  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 8:09:41 PM

    @66 & 70 Couldn't disagree more. { Link }

  1. 72  Andy Steven http://www.uptime100.com.au | 4/29/2009 9:25:35 PM

    @71 good luck getting consumers to download install and configure Notes. It's not going to happen unless they have a compelling reason..

  1. 73  Colin Williams http://guttedgeek.posterous.com | 4/29/2009 9:34:21 PM

    NZ perspective; I don't want to see ads on TV. Waste of money (and I skip 'em with my DVR). What I'd like to see is some Notes/Domino banner ads/videos on the following site to beat out all the Microsoft UC^2 stuff etc.

    { Link }

    Wow, they even use Notes/Domino! :)

  1. 74  Erik Brooks  | 4/29/2009 9:59:07 PM

    @Ed at @44 -- I don't know how I missed this either. But I can tell you that the *only* place I would have seen it was through your blog.

  1. 75  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 4/29/2009 10:19:14 PM

    @72 - Great job missing the point. :-)

  1. 76  Henry Ferlauto http://www.geniusinside.com | 4/29/2009 10:37:08 PM

    A few misc comments touching on a few of the subjects already mentioned:

    (1) I will be quite thrilled when I login to LinkedIn and see a Lotus Live Meetings ad instead of WebEx.

    (2) Microsoft has done product (or at least product line) television advertisements for at least one "business" product: Dynamix.

    But truth be told, I would much rather see that kind of money poured into creative web advertising.

    (3) The "democratization" of I.T. has been slowly building for the past decade. It started with the Palm Pilot. Reaching out to the end-user matters. Just like the user interface matters, this is another hard lesson IBM must learn and deal with. It is unfortunately out of their comfort zone (the C-Suite).

    (4) There is not much incentive within IBM for a sales rep in IBM to convince a company to keep Notes & Domino because as is the case with most sales positions, the compensation plan is centered around "new business." The customer paying the maintenance bill does not count. If every single employee in a company has Notes seat, the company is proverbially tapped out with respect to the comp. plan. Yes they can try and sell the other products like Sametime Connections, Quickr, etc; which is all good and encouraged. But as far as Notes is concerned, the the well as dry.

  1. 77  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 4/29/2009 10:40:52 PM

    Henry, every time you bring up #4, you minimize the loyalties of many thousands of IBM salespeople, some of whom do in fact get compensated for maintenance. The relationship client managers and software sales people care about the entire IBM footprint in the customer's environment. And there are a lot of reasons to care. Now, not every rep calls on every existing customer all the time, but the broad brush doesn't go either way on this.

  1. 78  Craig Boudreaux  | 4/29/2009 11:37:28 PM

    Just had to point out the irony...

    @43, what just happened again with post @48? :-)

    I applaud IBM's efforts here, and maybe if people keep mentioning them, they'll be viral, but if you hear about them from IBM, they ain't 'viral' yet.

    So far Mr. Mack seems to have the most viral thing going for Lotus...

    I hope we see similar successes with OpenNTF if that bears fruit. Looking forward to more information on that front.

  1. 79  Clayton Price  | 4/29/2009 11:52:41 PM

    Ed, your intentions are fantastic and I wish you well. Seems IBM haven't hit the mark with some people but the "year-on-year" seat figures suggest otherwise.

    Some people cannot let go of the past and it's great you acknowledge some current weaknesses in getting the messages out there.

    Reading these posts is probably a great place to start for the IBM marketing people.

    Personally I feel for Lotus. I remember attending Lotus Fusion (Gold Coast, Australia) a good few years ago where there seemed to be approx 1000 attendees. Now each Lotus event I go to is lucky to have a 100 people. The growth in the seats is a little surprising for me to be honest!

  1. 80  Henry Ferlauto http://www.geniusinside.com | 4/30/2009 12:09:37 AM

    Ed, I'm not saying that client reps and software specialists don't care. Most of the ones I have known do care (a lot).

    However, I try to separate the emotion (deep belief in the product line) from the harsh reality that is making a living on commission.

    I raise the issue because like them, I too care deeply about the platform.

    If there are not enough resources (that's compensation and everything you can imagine) dedicated to keeping the install base, migrations will continue. Because (crazy) Uncle Steve in Redmond will apparently spare very few expenses to take away the Lotus business.

    Yes, the migration numbers have dramatically subsided compared to year's past. And that's a credit to all of IBM from product development to sales to management.

    The new Notes 8 client and everything associated with its development and deployment being at the top of the list; followed by the new products like Connections and Foundations are all starting to help change many of the outdated negative perceptions of Lotus.

    Like you said in the original post, there's a lot more work to be done and it's not going to happen in 30 days.

  1. 81  Volker Weber http://vowe.net | 4/30/2009 12:57:47 AM

    Henning, Americans don't get irony unless you put at least a "Not." at the end.

  1. 82  Bill Malchisky http://www.EffectiveSoftware.com | 4/30/2009 1:15:11 AM

    Marketing to end-users watching American Idol, or any of the reality TV series is a waste for IBM. Advertising Lotus Notes as a business solutions tool during the four golf majors gets you a different market, that will listen, for example.

    I recall it being mentioned that Lotus had a good MacWorld show, and people saw the client and called-in to their office and asked what version of Notes they were using and that they needed to get N8. IT does roll-out solutions based upon end-user input. Palm, iPhone, Blackberry all got on the RADAR of IT from an end-user request--usually senior management. And sadly, migrations away from existing products can occur from end-user input as well.

    Point, here is that Ed is correct with his position that just advertising on TV now, will provide very little return to Lotus. Targeted programs/event and non-TV advertising can be very effective, though. Web ads on certain sites, and trade journals (e.g. medical, legal, aerospace) would be more effective than running a TV advertisement during Days of Our Lives. The U.S. Open and Wimbledon gives you another good audience, imho.

    It is always appropriate to target decision makers at the highest level. But, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and sometimes the trench workers can be more persuasive in moving products along. A good manager will listen to good people--particularly when then are upset or are zealous about a tool which can make their job better.

    Thanks for listening, Ed. Here's hoping that with all the good that has been done with Lotus Notes over the years, Lotus can continue with some new initiatives to keep pace with how users receive information in today.

  1. 83  Rishi  | 4/30/2009 1:37:19 AM

    Thought of the day : IBM should start buying CEO of all big companies and soon IBM will replace MS all over :D

  1. 84  Joerg Michael  | 4/30/2009 2:11:23 AM

    Now that I've read Nathan's latest blog entry, the headline here reminds of the the old doing things right thing. Maybe IBM needs to not just do thing different, but do different things. After all, as Nathan pointed out, Lotus *has* been developing *different* software.

  1. 85  Henning Heinz  | 4/30/2009 4:31:37 AM

    Not the first time I am accused of being ironic but I would really like to know how this all fit together. But I don't even get the point that Lotus now does consumer software.

  1. 86  Alan  | 4/30/2009 10:43:12 AM

    The iPhone has become a requested business tool through consumer advertising and adoption. Outlook is requested and adopted as a business tool because of consumer familiarity. I'm sure we've all heard a story at some time or other about a C-level exec saying "I didn't say I wanted Exchange - I wanted Outlook".

    Consumer advertising works for the business space because of the same reason you see a gazilion signs for a single open house in real estate - I think the term is Reticular Activation - when you think of selling your house you remember the face/name you see most often selling houses. When you think of "cool" electronics, you think Apple. When *most* people think email, they think Outlook. This is where IBM is missing the point, and I believe Nathan is on the right track. Advertise the brand and the product will follow, but you have to actively market the brand to consumers. The challenge Lotus faces is that the main competition sells a business product to consumers that turn around and advocaet in their workplace.

    I've said it before on this site - if Lotus truly wants to maintain share in the market they have to move as their competitors do by producing and marketing for the consumer AND business with the SAME product.

    Things are not the same as they were back when vendors and BPs were giving away Corvettes and Lotus Elises - consumers drive the messaging and collaboration markets these days because of the Social Networking model - I use FB, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter and other tools to develop and maintain personal and business relationships and any tool that I can use in my workplace that allows me to follow that model will be more productive for me and for my employer. If I'm not aware of the functionality of Notes/Domino because I never see it in the consumer space, I don't know any different from whatever I use at home or work and if I'm using Outlook then I'm never going to know about the "Amazing Power of One".

    Lotus needs a consumer brand presence in order to stem the tide of movement (not necessarily towards MS, but away from Lotus) and this can only be done by putting boxes on shelves (in retail stores, or virtually in web stores like Amazon). If a consumer wants to purchase Lotus Notes for personal use, how easy is it? Not as easy as getting Outlook I must say.

    I've worked around the Lotus suite of products for 16 years and much like Bill I'm becoming jaded as I talk to customers who tell me that Lotus is dead. Because they heard it from someone else. The reactive (defensive) approach is no good - being proactive (OFFENSE!) needs to be the "New Blue (or should I say Yellow?)". Stop reacting to what the opposition says - step up and claim the market, and have your opposition react to how want to shape the market.

    </rant>

  1. 87  Tam http://goodadvices.com | 4/30/2009 2:23:07 PM

    @42 - Ed, as I said, I know I'm a terribly small minority, but any thing you do to further reach out to those like me is a step in the right direction. I also know that the kind of change people like me require will be very slow in coming. I'm willing to be patient as long as the software serves my needs. I'm just a little cranky/frustrated about being left out in the cold by the Mac tech support aspect. (My perception, of course.)

    @41 - To be quite honest, Eric, I feel that I've gotten accepted by the PEOPLE who are related to Notes in some way shape or form. I'm glad people are paying attention to me & listening, even if there's no short-term solution.

    @86 - Getting a copy of Notes for the Mac was TERRIBLY HARD. I'm so not happy with the way IBM made me jump a zillion hoops to get a demo!

  1. 88  Ibby Basaran  | 4/30/2009 3:06:08 PM

    Let's jump into the Way back machine for a sec folks.

    Honda and Toyota made a very successful splash in the North American car market in the mid 70's when North America was chalk full of "Big Three Bigots."

    Sound like some IT shops that we've been in lately?

    How did Honda & Toyota do it? People were becoming fed up with the big gas guzzlin' Chevy's and Fords and Chryslers. Honda and Toyota cars cost less at the pumps.

    They helped reduce TCO!

    IBM should show the TCO for:

    - the MS suite of products required to provide the same functionality as a Notes/Domino set-up.

    - the myriad of MS servers, network routers, network switches, network appliances to provide said Domino functionality.

    - the multitude of IT technical people required just to continually apply the mind numbing numbers of MS/OS and product patches every two weeks.

    - if you loose one Exchange Message Store (we know that backups DO OCCASIONALLY FAIL!!!)

    If IBM wants to continue to market to IT Managers, the focus should be on show where Notes/Domino reduces their TCO. Those same MS people will develope familiarity with a Notes client over time.

    @86 - Agree - enough of this ludicrous defensive posture. While IBM markets to the Managers, we Yellow Bloods can market to the user communities and MS admins. You should have seen the look on a couple of MS Bigots when I explained ECL's just a scant 4 hours ago

    A quote from one ... "REALLY?!?!?"

  1. 89  Sam V  | 4/30/2009 5:58:13 PM

    Market share is probably increasing outside of the US. But I'm really not sure if that is the case in the US.

    I work at one of the mortgage giants that hasn't been exactly profitable. But they are moving one of the only 2 Notes applications to J2EE at a huge cost. The application has been around for more than 10 years and plans have been in place for the past 5 years to move out of Notes. But they are finally moving the data to Oracle and are looking into a 3rd party tool to get the current functionality. The reason being that the management wants to get rid of Notes completely.

    The VPs and Directors are Java guys and they want to convert everything into Java. I recently built a contract generation tool in Notes that the Java guys wanted to build. Eventually it was built in Notes because the Java guys needed 3 developers and a DBA and 8 months. My estimate was one developer 3 months. The application is currently in production.

    My team lead had mentioned at the beginning not to push Notes as I would be blacklisted!!!

    I have seen this happen at other places. Where are the IBM sales people when you need them? This is not a small company that we are talking about.

    I have heard that the other mortgage company that uses Notes heavily is also trying to move away from Notes. Why? Not enough work for the Java folks. So they are essentially trying to get to get rid of Notes in order develop applications in Java. That is the definition of trying to have job security.

    Save existing seats before trying to get new seats.

    </rant>

  1. 90  Alan  | 5/1/2009 9:04:27 AM

    @89 - the other mortgage company you speak of, if I'm right, got taken over by an Exchange shop and that's the driver for them to move. The new parent company also used to be a Notes shop. . . . .

  1. 91  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 5/1/2009 1:45:03 PM

    @89 - Are the VPs and Directors unfamiliar with the fact that Notes 8 is a Java-based RCP? I bet they write all the Java code for those J2EE apps in Eclipse, don't they?

    I write Notes client apps almost exclusively, and I haven't written in anything but Java in the last 3 months.

  1. 92  Eric Mack http://www.NotesOnProductivity.com | 5/2/2009 11:07:59 AM

    @72 Andy, I'm sure there are many, but here's at least one reason they are individual end-users are trying to download and self-install Notes: { Link }

  1. 93  Rob Shaver http://ShaverAssociates.net | 6/2/2009 5:05:13 PM

    I'm a one-man Notes shop, but I only use Notes to build web sites. I do use the Notes Client for my primary email and as an admin tool for my web applications.

    So I don't generate much revenue for IBM. Some of my customers have bought Notes on separate servers, but I'm pretty sure IBM never thinks about what a shop like mine might need.

    I've tried to leave Notes several times for other servers but Notes just does too many things I can't bear to live without. I don't mention that I build the sites in Notes unless asked because I almost always get a negative reaction. It would be nice if it was a positive factor instead.

    Notes improvements for web development have lagged badly. I'm just getting started with XPages and hope that will help with the decrepit HTML generated by the older servers.

    Perhaps this is a bit off-topic but I really wanted to chime in.

    Why can't IBM make the Client available for free or minimal cost to individuals? Why can't IBM get OEMs to install it on their machines? (Will MS pay them not to?)

    Take a risk. Try something new. Be willing to look foolish, but brave.

    Oh, and consider integrating Google Wave into the Notes server and client. I predict it will replace 80% of email within three years.

    Peace,

    Rob:-]