Roadmap for Notes/Domino from here

October 6 2011

Now that we've shipped Notes/Domino 8.5.3, there seems to be some confusion about what comes next on the Notes/Domino roadmap. We'll be discussing this in detail next week with an initial group of customers at our Leadership Alliance event, and of course, at Lotusphere 2012. But to clarify for now since there is discussion --

We are building a feature release for 2012. It won't be called Notes/Domino 9; it will be called Notes/Domino something (let's say "foo" for now). Architecturally, the "foo" release will be based on Notes/Domino 8.5.x, so that you can easily consume the new features without a major "upgrade" planning/deployment cycle. There will likely be an 8.5.4 release around the same time, just so that there is the most stable, up-to-date latest version of the 8.5.x codebase to use as a solid foundation for the "foo" feature release. The focus of the "foo" release will be more on the client/end-user interfaces vs. the server; in the same alternating pattern of server vs. client priorities we have done going all the way back to Release 6; there will be some incremental work on the server of course (and much work for Designer).  At AusLUG and Admin2011, we showed some highlights of some planned "foo" capabilities based on the IBM Project "Vulcan" vision; there will be more.

Beyond 2012, we plan a feature release in the 2013-2014 timeframe, which for now would be OK to think about in terms of a Notes/Domino "9" release;  I have occasionally said I don't want to call it "9" but it's a ways out and we haven't really worked on that branding/naming yet.

I'm not ready to get into the specifics of those releases in a blog post; again we will do some preview and feedback intake next week and go from there.

Ed Brill | Highland Park, IL USA Category: Add/View Comments [52]

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  1. 1  Michael Kobrowski  | 10/6/2011 10:27:23 AM

    So, "foo" won't have the Vulcan streaming stuff yet? Thats part of "9"?

  1. 2  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 10/6/2011 10:29:41 AM

    @1 I just moved that sentence earlier in the blog so that it is clear, the Project "Vulcan" blueprint work starts showing up in "foo".

  1. 3  Dave Hay http://portal2portal.blogspot.com/ | 10/6/2011 10:34:12 AM

    Does that mean that the Microsoft Competitive Team will get to be called "The Foo Fighters" ?

  1. 4  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 10/6/2011 10:40:55 AM

    @3 Like :-)

  1. 5  ken  | 10/6/2011 10:51:09 AM

    So we'll finally get some native Notes client view improvements? :-)

  1. 6  Thomas Duff http://www.duffbert.com | 10/6/2011 11:29:33 AM

    Nice to see planning 2 to 4 years out, Ed... good post.

  1. 7  Joacim Boive http://joacim-boive.com | 10/6/2011 11:52:35 AM

    Will you finally fix the properties box? Allowing it to be resized, so we don't have too look thru a "keyhole" when inspecting properties?

    How about proper multitasking for the client(s)?

    Mac version of the Designer client?

    Debugger for SSJS?

    Regards,

    /J

  1. 8  ChrisC http://www.bssuk.net | 10/6/2011 12:36:11 PM

    Ed,

    Good news. Looking forward to ls12!

  1. 9  Jim Soper  | 10/6/2011 12:51:59 PM

    Thanks for the update, these kind of updates keeps the children happy! ;)

  1. 10  Finn L Knudsen http://www.idocode.net | 10/6/2011 1:33:36 PM

    Great to hear a little about the roadmap.

    Will 'foo' or '9' be based on the Eclipse 4.x platform ?

  1. 11  ChrisC http://www.bssuk.net | 10/6/2011 1:54:41 PM

    Good question Finn. Love to hear where eclipse fits in with foo. Hoping it's moving with the times. Been stuck on 3.4x for a bit now.

  1. 12  Mike Robinson  | 10/6/2011 2:13:33 PM

    You realize from here on out, "Notes/Domino Next" will be referred to as "Notes FOO"...I'll bet money on that.. :)

  1. 13  Stuart McIntyre http://blog.collaborationmatters.com | 10/6/2011 2:30:54 PM

    Love the way you're sharing this kind of content Ed, thanks.

  1. 14  Christian  | 10/6/2011 3:45:27 PM

    don't forget the end-user,

    don't underrate the end-user,

    show blackberrys, no end-user will it, because it was(is) not user freindly

    don't forget the end-user,

    don't underrate the end-user.

  1. 15  Richard Schwartz http://www.poweroftheschwartz.com | 10/6/2011 4:28:21 PM

    Sounds like a great plan, Ed. But I'd suggest re-thinking calling it "foo" even as a fun temporary placeholder. I know we're all tired of hearing "next", but the problem with "foo" is that the obvious follow-up of "bar" will be way too tempting for certain people.

    -rich

  1. 16  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 10/6/2011 5:04:13 PM

    @15 I called it "foo" for purposes of this post only. We already have a real name selected, which will be previewed next week...

  1. 17  Patrick Kwinten http://quintessens.wordpress.com | 10/7/2011 2:40:05 AM

    In the presentation 'IBM Lotus Domino Designer 8.5.3 and XPages Update' slide 6 I read integration with activity streams are planned for 2013 with sounds far away...

  1. 18  anix  | 10/7/2011 2:41:34 AM

    A light version of notes client which can run XPages/Notes application is the most expected one from a client perspective. I hope we can see one soon.

  1. 19  Ben Poole http://benpoole.com | 10/7/2011 3:51:56 AM

    Nothing wrong with "Foo"

    { Link }

    * cough *

    Thanks for the update Ed. Here's hoping for good stuff coming down the pipe!

  1. 20  Matteo Bisi http://www.msbiro.net | 10/7/2011 4:19:38 AM

    i'm completly agree about domino "foo" roadmap , now we need a new client more fast and simple to use.

    Now i'm Waiting for managed beta program, thanks for this great news!

  1. 21  Peter Wilson  | 10/7/2011 5:44:26 AM

    The foo release will finally include a Redo feature when editing your mail :-)

  1. 22  Andrew Pollack http://www.thenorth.com/apblog | 10/7/2011 7:24:05 AM

    Ed, thank you for this reasonably straight forward statement of product direction.

  1. 23  Hynek Kobelka  | 10/7/2011 8:03:17 AM

    Even that i appreciate it that you publish your long term plans, I can't be too happy about them. Notes 8.0 was released on August 2007. Even if the next major release would be 2012 it would still be 5 years and now you tell us it will be even 6 or 7 years. (Earlier releases have been about 3 years apart)

    I really hope Notes 9 will be awesome and fix even the old problems of former clients, but it's hard to stay optimistic.

  1. 24  Stuart McIntyre http://blog.collaborationmatters.com | 10/7/2011 8:47:11 AM

    @23 Notes/Domino 8.5 was released in January 2009, so that's when you should be counting from...

  1. 25  Alan H  | 10/7/2011 9:54:54 AM

    First Traveler and Connections and now confirmation of long-term plans, it all helps enhance the value proposition in these days of budget restrictions.

  1. 26  John Head http://www.johndavidhead.com | 10/7/2011 9:57:46 AM

    Agree with @24 - and if you look at the functionality in 8.5.1, 2, and 3 ... there is more there in Designer than in some major releases updates. This isn't the days of old where we had a MR every quarter with no features and had to wait 2 years to get new stuff.

  1. 27  Thomas Leriche  | 10/7/2011 12:02:41 PM

    'foo' = IBM XNotes ??? LOL :)

    I'm hoping for an awesome UI redo in the 'foo' release... this has been badly needed for many years now.

  1. 28  Ivan Petruv  | 10/9/2011 9:13:24 AM

    Please please please... make the UI finally super-appealing, is it even possible to expect this from IBM?

    Look where Apple was 10 years ago, and what they achieved with just a few, but supersleek products we all love.

    Is it that difficult to hire better UI designers team so new customers are not laughing at Notes any more?

    Great technology in ughly outfit is unfortunately... not preferred technology (gently said). Please.

  1. 29  john  | 10/9/2011 11:50:23 AM

    @28 Notes itself and the new mail template are fine IMO. It is those 10 years old custom developed applications designed by programmers that are laughed at. And no one is willing to pay/spend the time to have them updated...

  1. 30  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 10/9/2011 5:06:35 PM

    @30 we are supporting the XPages extensions. Some are in 8.5.3, some will be in upgrade packs we ship between 8.5.3 and the next release over the next 6-12 months.

  1. 31  Andy Steven  | 10/9/2011 5:09:53 PM

    @30, agree totally..

  1. 32  Irv  | 10/9/2011 8:29:22 PM

    Whomever the namemakers may be, please move away from the Foo Basic and the Foo Standard nomenclature to something more obvious, like Foo Standard and Foo Advanced.

  1. 33  Nick Halliwell  | 10/10/2011 3:41:43 AM

  1. 34  Nick Halliwell  | 10/10/2011 3:44:04 AM

    #32 totally agree. But in 2012-2014 time frame are we really still supporting XP, MS dont support it why should Notes?

  1. 35  Irv  | 10/10/2011 4:31:05 AM

    @34... then something else perhaps? I can't tell you how many times over the past few years since 8.x that I've had to explain what the different about Notes Basic vs. Notes Standard.... I might be in IT, but my formal school background was marketing and the word differentian between something 'basic' and something 'standard', when used to describe the Notes client (with a one word variant), is vague at best.

  1. 36  Irv  | 10/10/2011 4:31:38 AM

    (i kan't spelle)

  1. 37  Gerry   | 10/11/2011 2:40:41 PM

    @ 27&28. Totally Agree. Need to hire some real UI people and make it as simple and as intuitive as possible(maybe steal some people from Apple/Google). 8.x was much needed and appreciated, but you should keep updating. Not a time to rest and say "everyone should be happy, we dont have the old 7 interface anymore".

  1. 38  Boris http://www.cloudninepointzero.com | 10/11/2011 2:54:11 PM

    Looking forward to the new features. Together with the cloud announcements, this is sounding good.

  1. 39  Erik Brooks  | 10/11/2011 4:16:53 PM

    Hey Ed, great news, sounds like you're raising the FOO BAR!

    Nyuk nyuk nyuk!

  1. 40  Rene Thorarinsson  | 10/12/2011 2:03:26 AM

    Please don't work too much on the marketing - we dont want to end up in some IBM bla bla for bla bla, save the strength to the development of good competitive solid code and let the users call the child what we have allways called her..

  1. 41  Rene Thorarinsson  | 10/12/2011 2:05:34 AM

    very aggree with 14 Christian.

  1. 42  Andy Steven  | 10/12/2011 4:49:03 PM

    @37, mail template still looks very 7ish to me :(

  1. 43  Ivan Petruv  | 10/12/2011 8:10:39 PM

    Difference between notes workspace and ipad workspace? Domino workspace i ughly.

    Why Apple can and IBM can not deliver icons people want to lick? (Steve Jobs noted Aqua's glossy aesthetic: "One of the design goals was when you saw it you wanted to lick it."[2])?

    Is it that difficult to fix in Eclipse Notes icons and workspace? Look what is iTunes - lists and lists (even list can be nice) in rich app. Anybody complaining? No.

    Please clean canvas, allow icons to be same like iPad, build initial set of 300 initial application pictures. I bet my car you will get back tremendous feedback and improve Notes acceptance from 90s to 2010.

  1. 44  Daniel K  | 10/17/2011 2:49:26 AM

    We're currently testing iOS5 devices with Traveler 8.5.2.2. The synchronization of reminders doesn't work, as it's not supported (https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27022506).

    Will iOS 5 functionality like reminders etc. have to wait until 2012 (8.5.4)?

    Is there a list of iOS 5 functionality that is not supported by Traveler 8.5.3, or do we need to find that out one by one issue?

  1. 45  gusff  | 10/24/2011 1:05:05 PM

    @43, aggree

  1. 46  Christian Dencker http://www.performance-peek.com/blog.nsf | 10/28/2011 10:46:45 AM

    Stepping off the traditional release cycle (4 month) and changing the wordings on the concept of upgrading .. is making clients jump ship .. and fast ...

    I suggest that you .. "Get it!" and stay on the 4 month release schedule and only talk about "Notes Next" or change the release schedule but STICK to Notes 9.0 as a name ..

    Doing both is Marketing Madness !

  1. 47  Pierre  | 11/14/2011 7:23:27 AM

    When will we be seeing a 64-Bit version of the Lotus Notes client for Windows?

    Thanks

  1. 48  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 11/14/2011 5:17:12 PM

    Can you tell me more about your requirement for a 64-bit client, vs. the 32-bit client that runs and is supported on a 64-bit OS?

  1. 49  Pierre  | 11/15/2011 1:48:26 AM

    So I am assuming that 8.5.3 is fully supported to run under a 64-Bit OS and runs well without any issues. But why hasn't a full blown 64-Bit version been released yet? Are there plans to release such a client?

    Your thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

    Thanks

  1. 50  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 11/15/2011 8:35:00 AM

    we haven't done it because we haven't done it. The 32-bit client is fully supported on the equivalent 64-bit OSs.

  1. 51  Benjamin Horst  | 1/20/2012 3:19:18 AM

    I'd like to pick up again where 10 and 11 left.

    Do you have any infos on which Eclipse versions will be used in those footure versions of Notes?

  1. 52  Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 1/20/2012 9:07:55 AM

    no, not yet. The Notes Social Edition will be the same version of Eclipse as Notes 8.5.x.