The absolute last word on Microsoft Application Analyzer for Lotus Domino 2006

March 28 2006

For ten weeks now, we've covered the saga of the new Microsoft Application Analyzer for Lotus Notes Domino 2006.  People like Paul Mooney and David DeWell have dissected the tool's logic and found that it does very little in terms of analyzing Notes apps...and is subject to manipulation.  Last week, we also learned that the Application Analyzer interrogates a little-used Notes property to determine application activity levels ... and doesn't error out when that property is unavailable!  Instead, it just assumes the application is unused.  Nice.

While Microsoft has, through a weblog (be sure to read the comments), acknowledged some of the challenges with this tool, despite all the problems, Microsoft is still shipping it.  They are even planning a series of seminars to "train" business partners on using the Application Analyzer starting next month.

Tom Duff eloquently summarizes the problem here: ethics. If the tool has little functional value, reports bad data, and is easily manipulated, why is it even in market?  We know the answer to this -- it doesn't matter to Microsoft.  They have a conversation starter, and a piece of marketware that just by its existence, creates the impression that the scope of a Notes migration is simpler than in reality.  In customers who have gone down this path, they have spent more time, money, and effort than anticipated to try to migrate their apps -- in most cases, realizing that after all, the Notes platform provides unique value and shouldn't be migrated.  Usually, this is determined too late -- mail is already migrated, and as was seen at one example, hundreds of dollars per-user spent for no quantifiable return on investment.

(Gee, with all the links in this entry, I suppose we should create a wiki on this topic).  Anyway.

After reading Duff's writeup on this, I reached a decision. As of now, I'm done writing about the Microsoft Application Analyzer for Lotus Domino 2006.  It is so beyond worthless and unethical that it just isn't worth anymore of my time and attention.  Enough with this "bull".

Ed Brill Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Microsoft  Add/View Comments [26]

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  1. 1  Paul Mooney http://www.pmooney.net | 3/28/2006 2:06:04 PM

    I think a Wiki is a great idea... just stick all the links about this - in chronological order... in one place. Ok... who wants to do it?

  1. 2  Patrix  | 3/28/2006 2:19:43 PM

    Nah. I liked that "Last word" part. How about discussing this instead - When will Vista and MS Office ship? Is this a window (pun intended) of oppurtunity for competing alternatives? An what does an anonomous MS employee think about the current situation?

    { Link }

    Off topic (again) but the subject kind of encouraged that

    Regards /patrix

  1. 3  David Vasta david.davidandkelly.com | 3/28/2006 2:22:51 PM

    What a load of crap.

    Microsoft as you have all stated is full of it. I have had the honor and head ache of spending time with Sharepoint Sever. Really Honor is misleading■more like complete pain in the arse.

    Let■s just say its crap and the idea of moving Lotus Apps to that fine piece of junk is laughable at best. You all knew that already.

    I knew veteran VB and ASP developers that hate and still don■t care for it, Sharepoint Portal, and at the same time found Lotus Designer to be easy to use and the Lotusscript called it an "Old Pal" after using it for a bit.

    Sharepoint alone was a bad idea and the obvious need for Microsoft to try and show that they understand Domino to their customers is apparent by what they have created.

    It's not so much that it (TOOL) works, it that it ■is■, and it makes the MS zealots fell better that MS understands they want to move off of Lotus to something that is by far a bad business decision but it helps their cause in front of the C level folks who don■t get either side of the issue, but when the C level person asks how hard it is to move all those Domino apps over to MS, the tech involved will answer like MS wants then too, cause they are chomping at the bit to run Outlook and crap like that, they just explain that there is the ■Microsoft Application Analyzer 2006 for Lotus Domino■ and it helps us move our current Domino DBs over and it is very easy to us. Then that call the ASP coder and he says he likes the tool and the C Level contact signs off on it having no idea what they have just done to their company long term.

    All in all I think we know what that really is, and useless selling tool.

    Thanks Microsoft now you have a useless tool to go along with your useless portal and the equally incompetent over rated POP3 mail server called Exchange■. I hate to be mean to POP3 servers, but Exchange is just a mail server. It does nothing else and the things it■s promised to do out of the box don■t work the way they should.

    NOTE: I was an AD/Exchange Admin at one time for about 3 years and I can testify to the complete crappiness of all the Microsoft products and the fine excuses the MS Employees have every time something does not work like they promised. If I only have a dollar for every time I was lied to by Microsoft as an Admin I could go get a few new Cars (AUDI) for cash now.

    So I am with Ed on this one■.let it go. If they are real IT people they will objectively look at it and figure out what they are up too. If they are complete MS Zealots then they will go with the vendor that brings them the most swag (Shirts, Sporting Event Tickets, Meals, Pens, and Posters) and ignore the fact that Microsoft really has one business strategy and that is to sell something to you, and at the end of the day that is all they care about. Not that you can get it working, not that it■s reliable, nor really all it should be, but just that they have a signed PO and you are now another number in the customer DB.

    I hope it catches up with them someday but from the looks of things from where I am sitting right now it■s going to be a hard fight if you know what I mean.

  1. 4  David Vasta david.davidandkelly.com | 3/28/2006 2:23:33 PM

    All those things in my post....Thanks Word 2003! Sorry Guys!

  1. 5  david racicot  | 3/28/2006 2:58:03 PM

    Ed. This should be brought into the open media more, not buried here. "...Microsoft Application Analyzer for Lotus Domino 2006. It is so beyond worthless and unethical that ...". It is obvious that the importance of this story is the MS lie that can be effecting 1000s of CIO decisions. This is important news and needs to be published as a warning to companies being "sold" the goods.

  1. 6  Karin S. L■kke  | 3/28/2006 4:08:56 PM

    I'm agree with David Racicot.

    I also belive that IBM has an obligation to inform existing Lotus customer/users about the challenges they are facing if they decide to 1) change to MS platform and 2) migrate their Notes db. Not in a "pissing contest" way, but in a "I care what happens to you, dear customer" way.

  1. 7  Mike McGarel  | 3/28/2006 6:03:15 PM

    I agree with you, Ed, and with @5 and @6. I understand that discussing the Analyzer here is redundant -- we all know it's merely a sales tool designed to give a decision-maker an excuse to go to M$ products. The issue is M$ and their partners will continue to use it despite its problems. It's a weapon they're using to target Notes customers and we Notes developers/admins need to be defend against it. Also, we will need to be aware of any "improvements" they make in the future.

  1. 8  Ben Rose http://www.jaffacake.net | 3/28/2006 6:07:43 PM

    @1 - Why doesn't someone make an aggregator for all the posts?

  1. 9  Gennady  | 3/28/2006 10:13:16 PM

    I agree with Ed. Let's stop this. In my opinion concentrating on this tool makes us look overly defensive. Application analyser is not a magic bullet.

    It will not enable MS to convert much more Notes sites than they do already and surely it will not have any effect on people happy with Notes.

    It is a sales and marketing tool just like information papers or seminars. Have you ever seen any marketing material that does not say that their product is the best?

    There is little new happening with Exchange so what does MS do ? They spend few days to develop this tool and create a marketing campaign around it.

    I think MS deserves to be ridiculed for that.

    The campaign is designed to counter the good publicity regarding future of Notes.

    MS is really good at marketing. I was amazed when just an announcement of the future marketing campaign generated so much free publicity.

    Is there anybody who does not know that MS will spend $0.5 billion on the marketing campaign?

    IBM has to counter aggressive MS marketing.

    I suggest an aggressive marketing campaign targeting Exchange sites for conversion into Notes.

    Maybe IBM need to offer them something extra like Lotus Workflow.

  1. 10  Thilo Hamberger  | 3/29/2006 4:06:42 AM

    I think it makes no difference whether this tool actually works or not. Some companies are *thinking* about migration. Why is that? That's the problem you have to address.

  1. 11  david racicot  | 3/29/2006 10:11:41 AM

    @9. IBM marketing needs aside, my point is that this goes beyond IBM v.s. MS. This Microsoft ethics issue is an IT industry issue that the IT press should address. (I'd really like to see some IT journalists comment here on this).

  1. 12  Cesar Zavala  | 3/29/2006 11:50:50 AM

    I think the best position from IBM would be to go and take care of their existing Notes customers (as @6). If you reach all your customers, and try to take care of their needs, they will appreciate it. Even in Notes shops switching to MS (political decision), there are always Notes advocates, and you should give them the arms to fight (maybe a brochure from IBM analyzing the Analyzer).

    But I think any "fight" should be done from "inside", from IBM being closer to their customers. For the customers that are happy being all IBM, it will be another reason to feel good about the decision of using Notes.

  1. 13  David Vasta david.davidandkelly.com | 3/29/2006 12:46:37 PM

    Marketing and IBM

    I for one would like to see IBM pick up the same sized club that MS picked up and start whacking them in the head. MS is good at what they do marketing wise and as we all know IBM■s efforts seems to be good but they never really go for the juggler and put a strangle hold on what the issues are.

    IBM always wants to be nice about things. Microsoft and the whole DOS thing and look how it turned out. Microsoft and the OS/2 thing and look how that turned out.

    I know Ed is a shark when it comes to going after MS but the entire company needs to be that way. There is no reason for a CIO to pick Exchange over Domino but it seems to keep happening day after day. Because of the way MS presents it solution and makes the CIO think that they know Lotus better than Lotus does with tools like this and if they say Lotus is bad then it must be they have a tools that know how the apps work so MS must know all about Lotus and the universal DBs. They don■t know anything about Lotus, they have talking points and they have to stick to them.

    Not that Lotus or IBM is bleeding or wounded, but there needs to be a push to place facts in the hands of every IT CIO out there about the short falls of Exchange and the Wins in Domino. I think the Boxing gloves are cute and I get the idea but from a CIO perspective the MS SQL Battery's Ads, are pure lies, and don't make sense but they give the point that MS SQL is good and it runs big companies and that is what CIOs sees and trust.

    CINGULAR runs their entire company on the iSeries, but you would never know it since IBM has never said it and it has never been in an Ad. COKE runs their entire company on iSeries and Domino runs on iSeries and they have loads of Server and Users, and that in an Ad Campaign would sell what IBM and Lotus are selling but I have never seem them do it.

    IBM and Lotus need to get the word out on which companies they help make money every day, 356 days a year and then CIO■s would start to pay attention. If the CIO of Cingular said they have over 50 iSeries Server and no down time to the CIO of X Company then would that not be the best selling tool out there.

    If the CIO of Coke said the CIO of Y Company that they run all the mail over Domino for over 300K users in 40 countries and it all runs on iSeries would that not speak volumes about the effectiveness of Domino and iSeries....hey look I'm creating a marketing theme and plan for free!......

    Call me Ed I can do more than just post...we could take over the world with my Ad and Marketing Ideas.

    -David

  1. 14  Karin S. L■kke  | 3/29/2006 2:48:29 PM

    I have some ideas myself that I would love to share (@13). I agree to "Not that Lotus or IBM is bleeding or wounded" (@13). We just need to tell this story so that others are not able to tell any other...

    I believe that the following will help:

    1) Take care of existing install base (@6)

    2) Go to market with references (@13)

    3) I learned at SW University this year that "MS have a lot of good products, but customers choose IBM products because......" is a good way to say it. It is important to focus on what makes IBM products a better choice. Use this in advertisements and other marketing material.

    4) Use the Lotus Business partners more than today. They want to tell their stories and protect their investments in knowledge/business

    5) Get the press more active in printing IBM stuff. MS is sending a lot to "lazy" journalists. Why don■t IBM and the Business Partners? Spam the press with good IBM/Lotus stories!!!!!

    IBM/Lotus is THE innovative IT Company. MS have in the past taken a lot of the IBM/Lotus ideas and done a "Copy-ValueAdd-Paste".... Let us join "forces" and let the market know this.

    We are doing our best here in Norway. Check out our Lotus Software User Group happening this spring (www.lsbg.org)

    In addition to our Key Note Speaker (Ron Sebastian (Jippiii!!)we will have an "Absolute Lotus" session that will cover: Lotus Notes/Domino running on Win32, Mac,

    Linux, different PDAs, Sony PSP, Microsoft XBOX, and even a small USB memory stick (if we are able to get a hold of that stick). Our goal is to show, what we already know, the stength of Lotus....

    Ed - You are more than welcome to visit us again and join us at this happening.

  1. 15  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 3/29/2006 3:44:13 PM

    So this references point is really interesting. It is one of my biggest challenges.

    It's interesting that David Vasta mentions companies like Cingular and Coke. I would love to have some public reference stories from marquis Notes/Domino customers. In many cases, they refuse to be references, since they consider their Notes/Domino apps to offer them competitive advantage. So I can't mention Coke as a Notes customer publicly (oops). Or the big pharma companies. Or the big manufacturing companies. Etc.

    To Karin's comment about business partners -- partners struggle to submit references, too. IBM has a formal references process -- it is what leads to all the stories that are published on { Link } . But a lot of partners are unwilling to share their customers with IBM...for fear of IGS? Of being replaced? I don't know. In one case, I was told by a partner that his customer was going to switch to Exchange over a network timeout issue in Notes 6... but he couldn't even tell me, privately, who the customer was (and as far as I can tell, it wasn't a government account).

    Microsoft seems to have a different philosophy about references. I have been in meetings with customers where they tell me that they are MS references for unfinished business. Microsoft has recently highlighted CompUSA as a Notes migration -- but if you read the words VERY CAREFULLY, you'll see that they haven't actually finished migrating (I'm not even sure if they've started)... but that is never mentioned in the case study. It's just words like "Scheduled for completion late in 2005, the solution is expected to make it easier to manage targeted e-mail to store managers and provide employees with greater access to information." { Link }

    If your company wants to be a Notes reference and you haven't been approached by your IBM software sales representative, or if you are a business partner and you aren't working on references with your business development manager, e-mail me. This is a huge issue and I will fix it personally if I can.

    @14 Karin about the invite -- You are in very capable hands with Ron...also I'm puzzled why nobody approached me while in Oslo about this user group! I would certainly have liked to have spent more time during that visit talking with customers.

  1. 16  Rune Carlsen http://www.lsbg.org | 3/29/2006 3:49:17 PM

    @14 Very strange, as we are growing, day by day :-) You are more than welcome to join us at a later point Ed. Sorry I didn't attend the Lotusphere Comes 2 You session you had overhere, if I had, I would have joined you and told you more about LSBG.

    Best regards,

    Rune Carlsen

    Manager, LSBG

  1. 17  Scott Stewart  | 3/29/2006 4:16:48 PM

    Oh, man. When I first saw the link to the Microsoft Business Partner website, I had a sinking feeling deep in the pit of my stomach that my beloved Michigan State Spartans were somehow connected to the FUD proliferation:

    { Link }

    If you look quickly at the domain name, it kind of looks like MSU Spartans...something.

    Whew! Feel much better now. ;-)

  1. 18  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 3/29/2006 4:19:21 PM

    Glad you're still out there, Scott!

  1. 19  Karin S. L■kke  | 3/29/2006 4:21:36 PM

    The Norwegain Business Partners, as a group, have started to work more closly together on geting a bigger reference push in the Norwegian market place. We must do our share of the work. Right?

    We will meet at the SpringSeminar. Since the press is there, it will be a good starting point (or should I say refresh point). I will keep you posted if you are interested.

    And, Ed, if you visit Norway again I will make sure that you visit a company/place that will make you post a picure or two.... Ref. your visit to Triumph. He he he

  1. 20  Giulio www.buzznotes.com.au | 3/29/2006 6:24:31 PM

    Ed,

    I know you want to let it go, but it's gonna stay in our collective faces for a while as MS started this campaign in November, that I can recall, and M$ have deep pockets. So this campaign will run, I think, for around 18 months which will take it til the middle of next year if I'm correct. If by then there is no real result for them, you can expect it will fade away, otherwise it will continue for as long as they think it works. Given the response though from the Lotus BP community it seems that unless MS actually deliver something functional, it should get dissected fairly quickly.

    I thought about the hoo-haa going on, and I think keeping cool and looking at the facts of it all should keep everyone sane in the interim. It will just require a consistent effort by many to keep the playing field level.

  1. 21  David Bell  | 3/29/2006 9:29:16 PM

    @2 - that's some very interesting reading in the Mini-MSFT insider blog. I am about 2/3 way through the 532 comments in that thread !

  1. 22  Pedro Quaresma  | 3/30/2006 6:56:45 AM

    Advertising a tool that actually doesn't work... what next Microsoft? I personally feel that situations like these should be exposed to the public -- particularly to the media.

  1. 23  David Vasta david.davidandkelly.com | 3/30/2006 10:43:40 AM

    I think if IBM and Lotus found a few good customers, offered a good amount of "services" in trade they might find some takers.

    I know IBM has come to me in the past and offered some good incentives to make things happen and get the word out, but the legal department here and the higer ups don't see the value? It's always odd how they don't want to spend any money on making much needed improvements, dont want to hire a warm body to make things better, want IBM to fix things for free, but don't want to tell them about it. Makes me want to pull my hair out.....oh if only it just didnt fall out on it own and would allow me to actually pull it out!

    How did MS get Xerox and others to let them talk about it in eWeek? Odd. I still find the MS SQL adds funny as they are pushing numbers that are supposed to make you thing SQL is on fire, but really the numbers are pretty sad and are not that great if you start doing the math.

    Lotus and Domino have some great numbers to put out there. Maybe they should start with that and start chipping away at the notions that Exchange is all mighty and bullet proof. When we all know better.

    Even better is you can choose your platform....I know I need to stop preaching to the chior and get back to work.

  1. 24  david racicot  | 3/30/2006 11:18:55 AM

    So. I am not media connected, but I am sure someone here is (hint). Can this someone turn this discussion into ACTION by forwarding the thread and/or related materials to their media contacts (IT mags, industry analysts etc.)?

  1. 25  david racicot  | 4/3/2006 11:12:49 AM

    Ok. Dispite the title of this blog entry, I did not intend to get the "last word". So someone please jump in ...

  1. 26  David Bell  | 4/3/2006 1:43:19 PM

    "Word"