Notes at Macworld coverage in Forbes, Financial Times

January 6 2009

Like I said...

Forbes, IBM Polishes Its Apple Offerings:

For the first time, IBM is eager to point out that new business-focused software will be released for Apple's operating system and the PC at the same time. Previous software versions had been published as late as a year after the Windows-compatible version. ...

But IBM's incremental concessions to Apple are a sign that the traditionally consumer-focused company is gaining a foothold in the business world, says Forrester analyst Ted Schadler. ... More interesting, he says, is IBM's vocal marketing of that effort at Apple's annual trade show, which he interprets as Big Blue's attempt to become more "device agnostic" than Microsoft, its largest competitor in the business software market.
Financial Times, Lotus Notes seeks Apple cool:
Lotus Notes, IBM's strait-laced enterprise email and collaboration software, donned a black turtleneck today with the launch of its first version for the Mac.

The announcement at Macworld was aimed at adding a little of Apple's nano-chromatic colour to what has been considered a grey product and at emphasising some unexpectedly  up-to-date features.

"Our reason for doing this at Macworld is to show that we can be part of a play in the enterprise that can be hip and cool," Ed Brill, Lotus's director or messaging and collaboration, told me.


Image:Notes at Macworld coverage in Forbes, Financial Times

Ed Brill Moscone Center, San Francisco CA USA Category:  Notes and Domino 8.5  Add/View Comments [15]

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  1. 1  Turtle http://www.weightlessdog.com/shell.nsf | 1/6/2009 5:00:51 PM

    "IBM's incremental concessions to Apple" -- WHAT concessions? They make it sound like IBM has done this grudgingly!

    And "donned a black turtleneck today with the launch of its first version for the Mac."

    Huh? Can anyone please go back and count for me the number of Apple releases of a Notes client there've been? I lack the fingers.

  1. 2  Barry Rosen  | 1/6/2009 5:43:17 PM

    "Our reason for doing this at Macworld is to show that we can be part of a play in the enterprise that can be hip and cool," Ed Brill, Lotus's director or messaging and collaboration, told me.

    You are hip and cool Ed!

    One mistake though, the article states this is the first version of notes on the mac. That is incorrect. At one time there was also a designer client for the mac as well. 8.5 is the first Mac client in the 8.x codestream.

  1. 3  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 1/6/2009 5:45:20 PM

    Thanks! I believe he means the first version of Lotus Symphony for the Mac.

  1. 4  Andy Steven http://www.uptime100.com.au | 1/6/2009 6:27:48 PM

    I think they meant the first good version, might be a good idea to forget version 6/7 ever existed.

  1. 5  Christopher Byrne http://www.controlscaddy.com/ | 1/6/2009 6:57:41 PM

    So how DO you look in a black turtleneck?:-)

  1. 6  Rob Novak http://www.lotusrockstar.com | 1/6/2009 7:46:59 PM

    So there are a few errors - expected in the mass of journalistic humanity at Macworld (which isn't even an "Apple" annual trade show). What matters is the press, and it's good.

    Apple has a chunk of my change, and it's good to see the press about the investment.

    Nice quote too, Ed.

  1. 7  Nathan T. Freeman http://nathan.lotus911.com | 1/6/2009 7:47:25 PM

    @1 & 2 - Who cares? Both are positive statements for the Notes client linking it to the hottest technology on the planet at the moment. This is absolutely a home run for IBM. Does it matter if they got the details wrong?

    Let MSFT go argue with the Financial Times about prior Lotus releases.

    Great job, Ed. Congrats on today's giant win.

  1. 8  Erik Brooks  | 1/6/2009 8:09:44 PM

    Shame they got your title wrong though, Ed. "...Lotus's director *or* messaging and collaboration"

    But great, great coverage.

  1. 9  Ian Scott  | 1/6/2009 9:25:49 PM

    Delighted to see the use of the word "flagship" in the Forbes piece.

    Slight concern the FT may not be on maintenance (still on 6.5) but I seem to recall that Notes was once cited as a key element of the FT's disaster recovery system so maybe it's just mission critical prudence :-)

    Good coverage and a great way to make the 8.5 announcement!

  1. 10  Julian Woodward http://blog.woowar.com | 1/7/2009 12:53:51 AM

    Great coverage Ed - congratulations.

  1. 11  Bill http://www.billbuchan.com | 1/7/2009 3:26:04 AM

    > "...be hip and cool," Ed Brill

    Forgive me, I just choked on my frosties.

    ---* Bill

  1. 12  Lars Olufsen http://www.olufsphere.com | 1/7/2009 6:20:15 AM

    @11 - admit it, Bill ... You want a black turtleneck too!! ;-)

    Good job, Ed - and good call, IBM. I think it's a good move!

  1. 13  Bill http://www.billbuchan.com | 1/7/2009 7:46:00 AM

    Yeah. Ed in a turtleneck is bad enough. I think Ed was *born* in a suite.

    Me in a turtleneck ? I'd look like Uncle Fester.

    ;-)

    Good Work team Lotus - keep us Mac fanboys on message.

    ---* Bill

  1. 14  Brett H  | 1/8/2009 10:45:28 AM

    Fantabulous! A real coup Ed, making the announcement at Mac World was a touch of genius. The Apple crowd have a very critial eye towards the look and feel of a product, and since the 8.5 version is so spankin' hot it will of course help put an end to the naysayers of usability.

    Lotus ROCKS!

    Now, all you need to do is make it easy for people to actually buy the thing!

    Excellent job to all that had a hand in this great move.

    Cheers

    Brett

  1. 15  Darren Duke http://blog.darrenduke.net | 1/8/2009 12:36:49 PM

    I'm old now, but I'm sure mentioning the words "hip and cool" may automatically remove you from the "hip and cool" crowd ;)