Free Domino Designer is off to a good start

December 2 2009

It's been just shy of 60 days since we announced the free distribution of Lotus Domino Designer.  I asked my team earlier today about the download stats and was pleasantly surprised.  We've had thousands of downloads of Designer 8.5.1 -- more than any other 8.5.1 downloadable module (client or server) so far!

I know we need to do more in terms of tutorials, wikis, examples on OpenNTF, and other learning modules to help developers with Domino Designer.  Still, I'm really happy with how this change in our packaging for Notes/Domino is playing out.

How has free Designer changed your use of Notes/Domino?

Ed Brill Westford, MA USA Category:  Notes and Domino 8.5  Add/View Comments [15]

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  1. 1  Adam Brown http://www.isw.com.au | 12/2/2009 11:18:12 PM

    We have had fantastic feedback from our clients that can now install Designer on as many users as they like. They have indicated that it will definitely increase their use of Notes/Domino for applications which is like mana from heaven!

  1. 2  Matt Penton http://www.askMTL.cm | 12/3/2009 1:41:28 AM

  1. 3  Matt Penton http://www.askMTL.com | 12/3/2009 1:53:08 AM

    We have found our clients (after we told them to install free designer) have taken on the basic development side (views, forms) and made more complex dev requests so we can provide the sexy stuff. This gives them the feeling of empowerment and not held to a bespoke dev house and us higher value added service. So a smart move all round - especially if you, as a solutions provider, embrace it and get the clients involved without feeling threatened. Of course its right on message to upper management looking for leverage across the organisation and workers are desperate to enhance their skills base and be the last to be made reduntant.

    On a seperate note - Expansys are now selling the Motorola MileStone (Droid in the States) and an insider told me the back orders are hitting the 50,000 mark! It is meant to ship 2nd week of December. This is mainly because it is Android 2.0 and the price is 50 quid and 35 GBP per month on T-Mobile. Nearly half the cost of the iPhone over a contract life. The next version of Traveller MUST support this platform. Many analyists are forecasting it as the number 2 operating system, by number of handsets, towards the end of next year.

    Sorry long post: Just thought you would like to know that the funky Notes 8.5 interactive advert has been entered for a media award - see { Link } - near the bottom.

  1. 4  Jürgen Sting  | 12/3/2009 5:08:36 AM

    Probably a Designer for Mac OSX would be a good idea, too.

  1. 5  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 12/3/2009 5:52:16 AM

    @4 it would be but it isn't on the plan in the short term.

  1. 6  Anthony Holmes http://www.workingcollaboration.com | 12/3/2009 6:57:48 AM

    The fact that lots of people are downloading Designer is great news. The thing I'd like to hear is from a company that decides to deploy Designer to ALL their people: as the default. They'd pay for Enterprise CALs (as per normal), but also decide to give their staff the power to develop apps. Just like in the days of Notes 3... there was no barrier to mucking around "trying stuff out". I'm sure some company will be first to do this.

  1. 7  John Rowland http://enterprisingnotes.blogspot.com | 12/3/2009 9:34:47 AM

    @5 Having just bought an iMac myself, I would like one, too. In light of the IBM push to assist in the process to make the world less MS-centric, I'm surprised there is no concerted effort to make the development available on other platforms.

  1. 8  David H  | 12/3/2009 2:41:37 PM

    @6 Ah, yes, the old days when Notes development was just forms, views, and agents. Everyone could create their own databases just like they created their own spreadsheets. My concern is that 8.5.1 Designer is too complex for many of those people now. I wouldn't be surprised if others find this too and ask for a "Designer Lite".

  1. 9  Mike McP http://www.openntf.org/Projects/pmt.nsf/ProjectLookup/mPortal | 12/3/2009 3:56:04 PM

    @5/7: This just isn't the right place for IBM to place their resources, as it would probably take a considerable effort. For instance, we're an IBM shop largely, but we have a few Macs in the design department, even though all of their software runs on Windows. The guys just like the Macs, and it's a totally workable scenario supporting them. I don't see it as a big deal to have your designer working on a PC, even in a Mac shop.

    @8: I hate to agree, but I do. It's very intimidating, and if partners start right off talking about how users can make xpages apps, that's might be the 1-2 punch that makes people fear development. I'd like to see R8 client offered as well, which is still full of potential and nothing to be embarrassed about. I don't think I'd make it highly visible on the download page, but below it maybe a 'download previous version'.

    I think this 8/8.5 approach would give partners who know it exists an easier inroad for customers, yet still offer the 8.5 client as the high profile download. For instance, I can think of peers in my organization that I'd like to give R8 designer to (they had designer until we consolidated due to cost), but 8.5 is just too daunting, and the training/support to bring them up to speed would be brutal.

    I see no real risk to the idea for IBM...it's basically just saying you can 'downgrade' and run any designer free if you have an enterprise CAL.

  1. 10  Andy Steven http://www.hillclimbr.com | 12/3/2009 4:05:53 PM

    I have a mac, but not having designer on it isn't going to make any difference to whether or not I get a sale. Lotus are better concentrating on other things such as the massive amount of NSD's I get on my Mac :(

  1. 11  Bruce Elgort http://elguji.com | 12/3/2009 7:26:57 PM

    So what I haven't heard about yet is the developers new to Notes/Domino kicking the tires on DDE 8.5.1. Would it be possible to put a survey question on the download site asking developers about themselves?

    Ed - were there some targets that IBM is looking for with regard to "outside" adoption of DDE 8.5.1?

  1. 12  Pierre M. Camilleri  | 12/4/2009 4:54:13 AM

    I would love to see a tutorial that teaches you how to develop apps using Domino Designer 8.5.1 So far there isn't much available and I think in order for it to become more popular IBM must do more by releasing tutorials.

  1. 13  Bill Brown  | 12/4/2009 10:01:54 AM

    @5 Ed: Can you tell us if Designer (and Admin) on other platforms (Linux?) is in the plan for the long term?

    It's not the end of the world, but I get tired of waiting for VMWare and Windows to load after I've already been working in my Linux Notes client and find I need to do something in the Admin client.

  1. 14  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 12/4/2009 10:33:56 AM

    @13 we would like to put Designer on Mac and maybe Linux but for sure it will not happen in 8.5.2.

  1. 15  Doug Finner  | 12/5/2009 6:10:50 AM

    This is a bit late and slightly off topic, but seems a reasonable place to put this.

    Whenever I try and figure out IBM pricing, I feel like the lady in the last panel.

    { Link }