Domino 8 entitlement: WebSphere Portal

August 16 2007

The Notes/Domino 8 salestalk we had on Tuesday was one of the most popular internal enablement calls ever for Lotus software.  We also had dozens of business partners on the line, and I know I'll be talking to more partners on Thursday's "Think Thursdays" call in just a few hours.  At any rate, many of the questions on the launch call were about the new entitlements in Notes/Domino 8.

My colleagues in product marketing have created a reference page for all the license entitlements in the new Lotus Notes and Domino release.  The one that seems to be getting the most attention so far is the 20-user license pack for WebSphere Portal entitlement for each Domino CPU (technically, each 100 processor value units) on maintenance in your environment.

The idea behind this entitlement is that as great as Notes 8 is for composite applications, there are times when you might want to go web-based rather than rich-client-based in building those apps.  It's great that Notes now has a way to couple NSF-based apps to other web services, but what about the customer/partner/supplier you want to bring into that equation.  Well, WebSphere Portal does mashups really well, too, so this entitlement gives your organization a way to start working with Portal to extend the reach of those new applications even further.

Now before anyone gets too excited here, remember that this entitlement is a completely optional, use it if you want way to access the WebSphere Portal technology.  Nothing in Notes/Domino 8 requires you to include WebSphere Portal in your plans.  Options and choice, however, are only good things.

Ed Brill Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Notes and Domino 8  Add/View Comments [30]

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  1. 1  Alan Lepofsky http://www.alanlepofsky.net | 8/16/2007 9:27:02 AM

    What??? IBM is forcing us to use WebSphere! Domino must be dead. Sorry couldn't resist.

  1. 2  Rob McDonagh http://www.CaptainOblivious.com | 8/16/2007 9:38:10 AM

    @1 *snicker*

  1. 3  Keith Brooks http://lotustech.blogspot.com | 8/16/2007 9:41:50 AM

    "there are always possibilities or alternatives"

  1. 4  Ben Langhinrichs http://www.GeniiSoft.com/showcase.nsf/GeniiBlog | 8/16/2007 9:43:07 AM

    Actually, that is a very smart entitlement, because I am quite tempted to try out Websphere Portal for a couple of smaller projects, and this way I could try it out for a low cost (just hardware & setup) and if it works, I might be able to use it with bigger projects. It also allows me (as an ISV) to give people a working composite application using WebSphere Portal and let them try that part without having to commit right away. Good stuff!

  1. 5  Stuart McIntyre http://lotusconnectionsblog.com | 8/16/2007 10:18:30 AM

    This is a very big deal... As a BP that focuses on Portal-based solutions integrating the best of the other Lotus products (Quickr, Sametime, Domino etc.) this will allow companies to begin to see Portal as a great way to extend and enhance and existing Domino-based infrastructure, without investing additional budget.

    Nice move IBM.

  1. 6  david racicot  | 8/16/2007 10:34:31 AM

    Nice carrot.

  1. 7  Volker Weber http://vowe.net | 8/16/2007 10:59:18 AM

    Lotus has tried this before with a 20 user entitlement for Workplace Services Express. :-)

  1. 8  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 8/16/2007 11:01:39 AM

    and also with a 20 user entitlement to Sametime.

  1. 9  Christopher Byrne http://www.controlscaddy.com/ | 8/16/2007 11:16:44 AM

    So, add Websphere Portal instead of just building a Domino app? I just don't know about that. Most apps I would take the time to move to the web would have more than 20 users...

  1. 10  Stuart McIntyre http://lotusconnectionsblog.com | 8/16/2007 11:27:46 AM

    @9 Nothing to stop you using the 20user entitlement as a Proof of Concept and then purchasing additional licences later. 20 users is usually enough to get the key decision makers to buy into a project...

  1. 11  Jeff Anderson  | 8/16/2007 11:55:35 AM

    I don't understand what benefit the ITDI entitlement gives them. According to the IBM website, they can synchronize Domino data only. Since the page later explicitly states that the full entitlement can be used to synchronize directories, I am led to believe that synchronizing the Domino Directory with AD using ITDI isn't supported with the free entitlement. Domino Data tells me they can synchronize 2 .nsf databases. Maybe there is a master customer database, and ITDI is used to replicate the data to other .nsf apps. Much like what could be done with LEI where both source and target for an LEI activity were a Domino DB. But without the cost of LEI.

    Am I missing something? If not, while an interesting way to introduce ITDI, I question how compelling this will be to a customer.

  1. 12  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 8/16/2007 12:10:55 PM

    @12 we were discussing the WebSphere Portal entitlement, not the Tivoli Directory Integrator one, but as long as you ask...

    "The limited use entitlement with Lotus Domino software limits synchronization to Lotus Domino data only. "

    That doesn't say that the synchronization is only of Domino data, but rather that only Domino data can be part of the synchronization process...to/with, for example, Active Directory.

  1. 13  Bill Brown  | 8/16/2007 12:23:49 PM

    Will there be any clarification on the Quickr etitlement? Any limited entitlement to Connections?

  1. 14  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 8/16/2007 12:25:55 PM

    @14 clarification of what re: Quickr?

    There is no entitlement to Connections, though the Activities plug-in ships in the Notes 8 client.

  1. 15  Gerald Mengisen  | 8/16/2007 12:26:45 PM

    While I can't imagine that a license of Portlet Factory Designer is included, do the Portal entitlement licenses include the license for the Portlet Factory runtime?

  1. 16  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 8/16/2007 1:13:11 PM

    @16 I am not sure. It looks like from here

    { Link }

    that WebSphere Portal Server includes Portlet Factory Designer.

  1. 17  Travis Retzlaff  | 8/16/2007 1:17:30 PM

    Of note that I didn't see what something similar to the restriction on the WAS entitlement that comes with Notes/Domino. Namely that you can only use the entitled software to surface Domino data...

  1. 18  Drew Ingersoll  | 8/16/2007 1:22:28 PM

    @Ed

    I would think that you are only giving entitlement to WebSphere Portal -EXPRESS. This is the version you buy in the 20 user pack which does not include Portlet Factory. To get Portlet Factory you buy the Enable or Extend versions which are based on processor value.

    Speaking of Portal with ND8 arrival when will Portal "offically" support the ND8 pieces that Portal uses(ie LDAP,Mail portlet, Cal portlet, etc) under the covers.

  1. 19  Bill Brown  | 8/16/2007 1:26:27 PM

    @15 I recall hearing/reading there was a limited entitlement to Quickr coming w/ ND8. For reasons I'd rather not post, I remember thinking "That's too farking _Cool_!"

    Either I hallucinated that, or I did hear it and just can't find references to it online.

  1. 20  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 8/16/2007 1:28:53 PM

    @19 the entitlement is to WebSphere Portal Server, not Express (but also not Extend or Enable). There is already a 20-user pack sold of WebSphere Portal Server (as opposed to Extend or Enable, which are sold by processor only). That's why I looked at the page referenced in the #17 link.

    @20 Never been a plan around Quickr with ND8. Quickr Personal Edition will come later and will be part of the Notes entitlement at that time, perhaps that is the confusion.

  1. 21  Gerald Mengisen  | 8/16/2007 1:39:51 PM

    @19

    AFAIK, 1 Portlet Factory Designer license is included for every 6 Portal CPU licenses. This does not count for Express.

    Portal Express however includes the right for license to the Portlet Factory Runtime; so Portlet Factory portlets developed by somebody else can run without extra charge on Portal Express.

  1. 22  Drew Ingersoll  | 8/16/2007 1:44:50 PM

    Ed

    Something doesn't seem right here - there has to be a catch. You are saying that I can buy around 3900 worth of Domino(Gotta be Enterprise right- 38.25x100) and I get entitlement to a piece of software that runs over $5,000? (Portlet Factory Designer) AND Portal Server.

    Something tells me the catch is in the "Composite Application" usage limit.

    I always get troubled when you guys do this sort of thing. Please don't get me wrong it's a great idea sometimes but people read it the wrong way and we(BP's) have a lot of explaining of fine print out in the field - and in the end really confused customers.

  1. 23  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 8/16/2007 1:53:16 PM

    Drew, there is no "composite application" usage limit. There is no functional restriction on this entitlement.

    Let me find out about the Portlet Factory Designer with a definitive answer.

  1. 24  Bill Brown  | 8/16/2007 1:55:18 PM

    @21 Perhaps, but that doesn't sound like it would have gotten that reaction from me at the time. Perhaps whomever was presenting gave a misleading picture.

    I was looking forward to keeping Quickplace around, and looking forward to the new features coming with the new name.

  1. 25  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 8/16/2007 2:06:30 PM

    OK I checked, and Portlet Factory Designer is -not- included in this entitlement.

  1. 26  Drew Ingersoll  | 8/16/2007 2:46:56 PM

    @26 Thanks Ed

    Want to take a shot at answering this?:

    Speaking of Portal, with ND8 arrival, when will Portal "officially" support the ND8 pieces that Portal uses(ie LDAP,Mail portlet, Cal portlet, etc) under the covers?

  1. 27  Bryan Kuhn http://btkuhn.blogspot.com | 8/16/2007 4:46:13 PM

    In celebration of the release of Notes 8 tomorrow me and some co-workers threw a Notes 8 Pre-Release Party. Check out the pictures on my blog.

    { Link }

    We even got a Lotus Notes Cake!

  1. 28  Travis Retzlaff  | 8/17/2007 1:17:49 PM

    For those still interested Lotus Component Designer is a tool you are entitled to use if you have Domino Designer.

    While it's no Portlet Factory it can create portlets for Portal 6 and does not require additional investment in software.

  1. 29  Drew Ingersoll  | 8/17/2007 1:49:01 PM

    @27

    To answer my own question - it looks like ND8 was added today to the support list for portal 6.0.1.1

    { Link }

  1. 30  Randall Shimizu  | 8/19/2007 5:20:50 AM

    It's really great that IBM is including some WPS licenses with Notes 8. I have been noticing that MS has been pushing Sharepoint services the past year or so. Microsoft is putting a lot of resources into WSS. There is bunch of templates along with some blog and Wiki capabilities. This gives MS mindshare with the Sharepoint brand and also forces their customers to upgrade to Windows server 2003. But this raises a question if IBM's efforts are enough to counter Sharepoint. IBM's inclusion of the Collaboration pack with Suse is a step in the right direction. It would be great if a similar bundling arrangement would be available for the Windows platforms.