Forrester: IBM is a leader in the collaborative platforms market

May 31 2006

Forrester recently published a "Forrester Wave" analysis, examining the various vendors in the collaboration software marketplace.  Both IBM and Microsoft have been ranked leaders...pretty much with even scores.  While I'll quarrel with some of the rankings (how could IBM have the lowest score of any vendor on cross-platform?), it is a decent analysis of where everyone stands.

IBM is a Leader in the collaboration platforms market, with its Lotus Notes/Domino platform and related products (QuickPlace and Sametime) and the emerging IBM Workplace Collaboration Services offering. IBM has a very strong vision and product road map and is the overall market presence Leader. IBM offers strong messaging, real-time collaboration, and team collaboration platforms, and solid security and Information Workplace readiness. But IBM is weaker than some of its competitors in architecture and administration. IBM's strengths make it a good fit for organizations that have a strategic orientation toward Java and other open standards, are developing an Information Workplace (IW) strategy, need a full collaboration platform and don't mind a lack of unification among collaboration modules, place a premium on vendor viability, and have open source leanings --  especially toward Linux.
Full report on Forrester.com, and IBMers have access to limited distribution.

Link: Forrester: IBM is a leader in the collaborative platforms market >
And if you are curious what this looks like through a Microsoft lens, see peterdehaas.net: Forrester: Microsoft Is A Leader In The Collaboration Platforms Market >

Ed Brill Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Messaging  Add/View Comments [8]

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  1. 1  Steve Castledine http://www.stevecastledine.com | 5/31/2006 1:18:38 PM

    "Microsoft's deep strengths lie in strong security" - ? Right!

  1. 2  Scotlyn Franklin  | 5/31/2006 1:34:44 PM

    I could only read the summary info, but it sounds a bit like 'everybody gets to be a winner'...Yeah, yeah, we're all special little snowflakes.

    @1 - I thought maybe that was a typo!

  1. 3  Bill Geimer  | 5/31/2006 3:38:05 PM

    I think she did better research as Erika Rugullies. At least, it seemed more decisive. Oh, bother.

  1. 4  Charles Robinson  | 5/31/2006 4:13:48 PM

    How on Earth can she make this claim about Domino: "IBM's strengths make it a good fit for organizations that ... don't mind a lack of unification among collaboration modules..." WTF?! She makes a similar claim about Microsoft's collaboration offering, and I find that much more applicable. I'm using Sametime, Domino and Esker Fax. I administer all of them from the Notes or Domino Administrator clients. Where is the unification lacking? I don't know how you administer Workplace or Websphere Portal, I have no need for either of those and haven't seen them up close.

    I'm serious, does anyone know where that criticism is coming from? I'm highly critical of Domino, and I'm not a huge fan of Domino Administrator's crazy tabs, but I will admit it's certainly better than the Microsoft alternative, which is... nonexistent? As far as I know Active Directory, Exchange, SQL Server and IIS are all separate management tools.

  1. 5  Ganapathiram Natarajan http://GanaOnTheNet.blogspot.com | 5/31/2006 9:55:59 PM

    @4 It's possible that Forrester looks at both workplace and domino while they talk about "unification lacking". Just before that statement they mention about *strategic orientation toward Java and other open standards*

    IBM is also quoted as *weaker* in architecture but MS as *stronger* - I don't understand the context.

  1. 6  Axel  | 6/1/2006 3:31:43 AM

    I don't envy the job of the writers of such studies.

    Anybody knows that such high level "architectural" view is impossible due to strong, complex and ongoing diversification on the supply side.

  1. 7  Ben Poole http://benpoole.com | 6/1/2006 7:37:52 AM

    > I don't envy the job of the writers of such studies.

    Me either. but then, no-one's forcing them to do it. If you're going to set yourself up as an analyst, then as far as I'm concerned, "you need to know your sh1t" -- there are some profoundly flawed statements in the study WRT to both IBM and MS. For shame! :-D

  1. 8  Steven Joseph  | 6/1/2006 11:42:43 AM

    I just hope someday it won't be the case that Forrester nearly always is the one that publishes a postive analysis of Domino/Notes products and Radicati is nearly always the one that publsihes unrealistically positive reports about Microsoft.

    It does always seen to fall that way.