Last Microsoft-related post for ´05, I promise

December 17 2005

I've received several comments this week, directly or indirectly, that I've let the Lotus vs. Microsoft theme get too out of control, too petty, too whatever.  That edbrill.com readers would like to see me spend more time on my own turf, discuss other general themes in the industry, get more into my (daughter's) new Mac, talk about 2006 plans, etc.  I get it, really I do.  I'm going to explain briefly what the last few months have been like from this perspective, and move on for now.

There's no subtlety in a company's business plan when their CEO stands on a stage and says, "We have Lotus Notes opportunities coming out the yin-yang. I've never seen [such] a customer base waiting to be plucked."  In 2005, Microsoft has put significant human and financial resource into their "Notes Compete" program.  I've seen the presentations, read the information on bounties and bundles, seen screenshots of MS intranet pages with the quote above highlighted.  I've talked to business partners who have been flown to Microsoft meetings at MS's expense.  I know about Microsoft's quantifiable goals in this area.  So let's be crystal clear about it -- regardless of recent comments by various Microsoft employees and supporters, Microsoft wants to beat Notes during their FY06.  There's no other objective in their business plan.

All this talk about doing what's best for our mutual customers is nothing but a smokescreen.  And I, and my colleagues, are especially disappointed when that guise is adopted by our publicly-visible former coworkers, none of whom left Lotus directly for Microsoft.  It's hard not to take it personally when "IBM" is attacked, ten years after IBM acquired Lotus.  Or when Lotusphere is criticized, as it continues to be one of the premier IT conferences anywhere.  Or when those who speak about migration from Notes to the Microsoft platform publicly pretend that their message is instead about peace, love, and integration.

Do I want to do what's right for you as customers and partners?  Absolutely.  That's why the Lotusphere agenda features several speakers talking about Lotus and Microsoft integration, a topic I myself used to cover in Orlando.  In many cases, these speakers are actual architects and developers who have implemented these solutions in the field, not just technical marketing people like myself.  For what it's worth, we've taken the same approach with other 3rd party technologies, such as SAP and VMWare, with great speakers discussing real-world scenarios.  (You can thank Rocky for advocating for more of these types of sessions)

Going beyond the Lotusphere-related discussion, the big picture is that Microsoft is aiming a lot of weaponry at my product's customers.  One thing that's very interesting is that this firepower is needed at all.  If it was obvious on its face that Microsoft had a technically superior solution, they wouldn't have to invest millions of dollars and an army of people to go after Notes.  But all this effort has precious little to show for it, because in most cases, sound business analysis and decision-making wins the day.  

And that's why Lotus is winning new customers from Microsoft as much as the installed base of Notes customers continues forward with the product.  The last four fiscal quarters show the results -- despite the latest attack, the Lotus and Notes revenue bases are growing.  Perhaps I should thank Microsoft for putting all this effort in -- since so many of the situations where I end up on defense actually result in net-new investment in IBM, Lotus, and Notes.  The thanks for that are not simply with my salesforce, but ultimately with the engineers, product managers, architects, and everyone else who have made Notes/Domino 7 an impressive, valuable, and useful release, and for those who are already working nights and weekends to make "Hannover" the best rich client experience ever.

In the next few weeks, I promise that these areas will be my focus.  We've got a lot of great stuff ahead, starting with Lotusphere (and Software University before that, for those IBMers and partners attending).  I'm actively working on my year-in-review/3-year-blogoversary stuff, and we're going to focus (refocus?) on all the good in the world of Lotus Notes, now and into the future.

Ed Brill Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Microsoft  Add/View Comments [31]

Post a Comment

  1. 1  Eric Parsons startingblockcomputing.com | 12/17/2005 10:42:27 AM

    All agreed, but where is the IBM push back? I know if I were being attacked, I would look for creative ways to stop and reverse the progress from Microsoft or anywhere else (Sun, Oracle, etc).

  1. 2  Duffbert http://www.twduff.com | 12/17/2005 11:00:47 AM

    OK... that settles it... For this year's keynote, we're dousing Ed in sweat and having him run around on stage yelling "developers, developers, developers, developers..."

  1. 3  Tim www.merisis.com | 12/17/2005 12:36:47 PM

    I echo point one - we need an offensive plan, particularly in SMB. So don't relent in your Microsoft related posts please - we need more, not less people pushing back at MS!

  1. 4  Axel  | 12/17/2005 1:55:33 PM

    (no rant)

    We've heard the same around 2002 in the Java community (.NET will kill Java). And the result? Developers & Customers have gained a better Java due to improved effort of all stakeholders. A lot of people think that the .NET threat played a mayor role in those improvemente.

    Though I really wanted to improve my .NET skills over those years, I never found the time to do so, because Java & Notes projects kept me too busy. Unfortunatedly, I do still suck as a .NET programmer.

    Owning an inocent mind I think that Microsoft wouldn't start such a campaign if they weren't thinking that the newest generation of their offerings were at least a little bit more usefull than the last one.

    Lotus might analyze this and compete against it.

    I am a sincere believer in the irrationality of organizations. But this believe has its limits. I don't buy into a theory that customers switch platforms o.n.l.y. because of a heavily funded marketing & sales campaign. Lotus has to compete against it. And this is how development is made on our beautiful planet...

    thx Axel

  1. 5  Ed Maloney  | 12/17/2005 3:11:03 PM

    What did Ray Noorda say about doing business with MS? He compared it to going on a date with Mike Tyson (you know darned well that you're going to get raped). MS has a "scorched earth" policy when it comes to competition and IBM seems to be aware of this.

    That said... my holiday wish list includes IBM doing a better job of helping Notes developers promote Notes as an application development platform. Look at any MS product and you see a great selection of professional quality, free templates to help establish the product. Where is the equivalent for Notes?

  1. 6  Jack Dausman http://Leadershipbynumbers.com | 12/17/2005 8:17:49 PM

    Ed, keep on message. There is no alternative source of credible information to counter competitor claims. It's not always just about Microsoft (true enough), it's about attitude. Domino is a terrific product, that has been simultaneously villified and widely adopted. I point people to your site every week as the resource for getting the big picture on Lotus.

  1. 7  Randall Shimizu http://is-perspectives.blogspot.com/ | 12/17/2005 9:49:16 PM

    It's important that IBM quantify the challenge that Exchange poses both from a competitive and marketing perspective.

    I think next year will be interesting and pivotal year for Notes and Exchange. Both companies have products that have come to fruition. The real question is IBM ready to commit the fianancial marketing resources necessary to ensure the lead of Lotus products...??

    Ed is doing a great job, but there is people in upper IBM managment who need to be made aware.. For starters I think we should let Sam Palmisano (sam@us.ibm.com )know what are thoughts are.

    Technological superiority does not always prevail, OS/2 Warp has demonstrably shown this. To Microsoft's credit they have shown the willingness to allocate the financial resources necessary to achieve their objective.

  1. 8  Axel  | 12/18/2005 5:32:57 AM

    Not going to make this blog my personal freak show, but here are some issues which I consider constructive ideas:

    Nearly all big software vendors are actively looking for openSource backing. Sun has openSourced their development tools and servers, Oracle has openSourced their popular JSF-components, IBM is offering the openSource JBoss fork Geronimo as basis of Websphere community edition.

    I am not talking about openSourcing Domino. It simply will take too steep learning curve before becoming productive.

    But there is some disposition of parts of the community to offer openSource applications (like !!help!!!, blogsphere or or open wiki). Others are providing quite usefull tips for a specialized field like using Domino for webstuff (codestore.net).

    Why not analyze and bundle this stuff in some marketing and beginner-developer friendly package and possibly pay those openSourcers people some little share of the marketing budget? I mean. IBM invests in apache.jakarta and Eclipse Software Foundation, too.

    And why not give some IBM engineers the task to make openSource development for Notes easier. For example. With the current xml capabilities of Notes its possible to build up an cvs environment and give this to openNTF.org. Some of my collegues have build an eclipse based cvs-client for Notes. Or even better an JXTA based peer-to-peer development facility.

    In my opinion the traditional strength of Notes has been that people without much experience in programming could become productive quite rapidly. Why not use the inputs from the openSource community more actively to remain competitive?

    And now it might be the time to search even more determinedly the collaboration with true intelectuals in challenging areas like notes RichText.

  1. 9  kudla mkudla.blogspot.com | 12/18/2005 9:23:42 AM

    Gotta toss my .02 in...

    "...Microsoft wants to beat Notes during their FY06. There's no other objective in their business plan..."

    If that is really true, Ed, you might as well fold up your tents and go home.

    Between the Groove acquisition and cats like Julio, Bob and Charlie...you got no chance...

    I actually think those (ex-Lotus/Iris) guys are focused on other stuff and you IBM'ers still have a fighting chance...

    Like I said, my .02...

  1. 10  Paul Mooney http://www.pmooney.net | 12/18/2005 12:25:54 PM

    @9

    Forgive me, and many many others, for not folding up any tents. Over the past few years I have heard one "notes killer" after another. Has it worked? nope. You would think that people on any side of the fences at this stage would be have more sense then to use such definate statements as above. And as for the Groove acquisition, Ray's product has been funded by MS for years. I don't see any change now MS own it outright, aside from its natural development.

  1. 11  Ken Lin http://kenlin.com | 12/18/2005 1:04:11 PM

    Regarding LS integration sessions - Josh Burchard and I will also offer an introductory session on Active Directory integration { Link }

  1. 12  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 12/18/2005 1:24:58 PM

    Several great comments.

    @1/@3 - several offense tactics executing right now. Not everything is blogable, but one example is this BOF at Lotusphere, talking about best practices in working on enterprise software contracts: { Link }

    @7 " IBM ready to commit the fianancial marketing resources necessary to ensure the lead of Lotus products...?? " Yes. I can't comment on specifics publicly, but there will be more Lotus sales and marketing resources in 2006 than 2005.

    @8 Axel this is a very good idea, and again without going into detail, there are some conversations happening between IBM and OpenNTF.Org.

    @9 Mike, good to hear from you. I don't want to make this about personalities any more than it already is. My point was that in this context, Microsoft is all about beating Notes. Not that it's their entire corporate mission, but that the thought that their efforts around Notes are anything other than "plucking" Notes customers is naive at best. See you at Lotusphere and sorry about pushing for internet-style mail replies in Notes 6.

  1. 13  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 12/18/2005 1:26:01 PM

    @11 oh yeah, I approved that one, too.

  1. 14  david racicot  | 12/18/2005 1:59:45 PM

    www.edbrill.com is my browser homepage. So keep it up.

  1. 15  kudla mkudla.blogspot.com | 12/18/2005 3:50:08 PM

    Hey Moon-man, way to totally miss the point of my post.

    You keep on keeping on. And maybe you should get an English dictionary.

    Ed, I did not take your quote out of context. You tried to belatedly set the context after I called you out.

    My post had absolutely nothing to do with personalities.

    As to Internet replies, and R6, I have never had anything to do with either, so I guess I don't understand your parting shot.

    If you guys are serious about trying to make Notes/Domino a viable alternative, stop playing defense. YOu guys know and understand the power of the platform...push it. Stop being babies.

    'nuff Said.

    Kudla

  1. 16  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 12/18/2005 3:56:52 PM

    @15 it wasn't a slam. I'll send you mail.

  1. 17  Dan Sickles http://dansickles.blogs.com/ | 12/18/2005 4:05:46 PM

    I'd still like to see a high-level outreach program that targets developers. All developers. Not just Notes developers, or .NET developers or OSS developers. Not just corporate IT developers.

    Show them what Notes can do. Don't tell them. They'll hear but won't listen. Show them.

    Developers influence on platform and technology choice is always uderestimated.

  1. 18  Paul Mooney http://www.pmooney.net | 12/18/2005 5:10:22 PM

    @ 15

    Moon man? Oh dear ;-)

  1. 19  Ben Langhinrichs http://www.GeniiSoft.com/showcase.nsf/GeniiBlog | 12/18/2005 8:08:27 PM

    Forget about Moon man. I'm back on Axel's comments about true intellectuals.

  1. 20  Laurette Rynne http://www.lauretterynne.com | 12/18/2005 10:09:39 PM

    well, I don't know about in the US, but IBM doesn't seem to be fighting the good fight as well over here in Australia, as I mentioned a few weeks ago - { Link }

    Maybe you need to make the journey down to Sydney again soon!

  1. 21  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 12/19/2005 1:21:35 AM

    @20 Laurette, Hala Batainah is the Lotus brand manager for ANZ. I know there was recently quite a successful series of Notes/Domino 7 launch events. OTOH, I can validate some of what you've seen in your local market. We have some wins too, but that doesn't help in the losses you seem to be in contact with.

    I received an e-mail from someone involved with one of those recent losses, I'll be sharing it (anonymously, of course) with my colleagues so that we can adjust strategy.

    I'm -tentatively- scheduled to be part of the Lotusphere Comes to You events in Australia in March.

  1. 22  Nathan T. Freeman  | 12/19/2005 2:10:08 AM

    @8 - "For example. With the current xml capabilities of Notes its possible to build up an cvs environment and give this to openNTF.org."

    You will see this on OpenNTF.org before the end of Jan. I had a brainstorm about this a few weeks back, and I know exactly how I'm going to do it. It's gonna be hot. You'll be able to work entirely in the standard Domino IDE. It's the server that will manage the versioning history, via DXL.

  1. 23  Nathan T. Freeman  | 12/19/2005 2:15:41 AM

    Ed, I'm curious who's complaining about your MS coverage. It's not some dominant factor of your blog, unless you count stuff like covering Radicati as MS blogging.

    Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, keep it up. The power of blogging is counter-propaganda. The world needs more of it.

  1. 24  Thilo Hamberger  | 12/19/2005 3:42:37 AM

    All this is just Microsofts reaction to "Hannover". They know that it's going to be a killer.

    Talking about VMWare: How come I don't see Domino 7 for VMWare Player?

  1. 25  Tim Rynne www.timrynne.com | 12/19/2005 4:45:32 AM

    @21 Ed - the ND7 launch events here in Aus were quite impressive - I think everyone I talked to about the launch was happy to see some of the "old school" IBM make it's way back into town.

    On the other hand, there seems to be a lot of soft murmurings around the place about sites moving away from Notes, almost as if it's a natural progression, and apparently without too much of a fight...

    anyway, my vote is for you not to back down on MS issues - I frequently give your site as a resource for anyone who's involved in contemplating a move, and besides, sometimes it does us all good to take the gloves off now and then...

  1. 26  Richard van Geilswyk  | 12/19/2005 6:13:10 AM

    @24 - Great point on the VMWare Player!

    I'd like to second Thilo's suggestion.

  1. 27  Paul Robichaux http://www.e2ksecurity.com | 12/19/2005 10:12:28 AM

    @26: the problem with VMWare Player is that you still have to have a license to redistribute the base OS. IBM could certainly build a Domino 7 + Linux image, but they'd have to be careful with {Red Hat, Novell} to ensure that they followed the appropriate license.

  1. 28  Randall Shimizu http://is-perspectives.blogspot.com/ | 12/19/2005 6:08:29 PM

    @12 This is what I have been waiting to hear. Let's give thanks to Ed's boss Beth Ann Craig for more marketing. Bring it on Ed...!!!

    Happy Holidays.

  1. 29  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 12/19/2005 9:29:42 PM

    @28 well, for what it is worth, I haven't worked for Bethann for sixteen months or so. But Bethann, her management and peers are indeed responsible for some of the good stuff from marketing of late, along with the product team.

  1. 30  JP Liggett http://www.JPLiggett.com | 12/20/2005 4:00:56 PM

    I was chagrined to learn that you intended to hold back in the face of the MS onslaught. I believe we need all the help we can get against MS.

    The comments about developer education were good, but I believe we need some notes education for non-IT exec-heads. The value of Notes as a swiss-army knife for business workflows could help those types. The last round of ad's with the prize fighter were catch-y. but compare those to "SAVE MILLIONS WITH NOTES or IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE EFFICIENCY WITH NOTES". Non-IT types eat this stuff up.

    Bottom line Ed, We need your MS stuff. It's been very useful in the past.

  1. 31  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 12/20/2005 4:17:46 PM

    @30 JP, I didn't say I intend to hold back forever...just take a break for a while. I'm still doing my Lotusphere session and a bunch of other stuff.

    What's interesting to me is that the voices from Redmond that had chimed in on the previous thread so defensively have now gone silent. I think I've made my point.