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Category Lotus Traveler
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I've learned that IBM is about to make an announcement about the deal that they struck with Apple (see: Lotus Notes For iPhone Signals Closer Ties Between IBM, Apple). Apparently this will be done at the upcoming Lotusphere 2008 conference in Orlando, FL that is about to start this Monday (and Craig will be there!). According to the news circulated on the Internet, owners of the iPhones will be able to use Lotus Notes on those devices. In addition, IBM will make Lotus Symphony available for Macintosh. Since iPhones are not available in Canada yet, this does not really affect us at this time. However, looks like it won't be long before we cross that bridge... (see: iPhone watchers debate potential Canadian launch). I wonder how long before someone here will get their iPhone and will ask us how to put Lotus Notes on it....?

Posted by Bodek Frak At 11:02:44 AM Location Windsor - U of W | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Category Lotus Traveler
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E-mail software from IBM Corp. will be available on Apple Inc. iPhones and iPod Touch devices under a new partnership that brings together two big rivals of Microsoft Corp.

IBM plans a formal announcement of the Lotus Notes e-mail package for Apple's portable devices at its Lotusphere conference in Orlando, Fla., next week. The software, which requires use of IBM's Domino e-mail server program, will be free for users who already have a Lotus Web-access license and start at $39 per year for new users.

IBM also plans to release Lotus Notes and the free Lotus Symphony "productivity" package - which includes documents, spreadsheets and other Microsoft Office-like software - for Apple's Macintosh computers.

With these moves, IBM is trying to find more avenues for its software and take advantage of Apple's natural affinity for Microsoft alternatives.

The iPhone already can connect users to Web-based e-mail services and to corporate e-mail sent over Microsoft's Exchange e-mail platform, though businesses rarely enable the setting that makes it possible.

If IBM, which counts 135 million Lotus users worldwide, can get companies to let their employees check Lotus e-mail on iPhones, the partnership could make Apple's gadget more competitive with Research in Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry and other business-targeted smart phones.

IBM and Apple, competitors in the early years of the PC market, traditionally have not worked closely together but now appreciate that "we have a lot in common," IBM spokesman Mike Azzi said. "We're going to cross-pollinate."

One reason for the distance between the two companies is the small overlap between Mac users and the big corporate customers that commonly buy products from IBM.

Now, Apple hardware has become a broader platform with the popularity of the iPhone and Web-enabled iPod Touch devices. However, Apple has delayed fully opening the devices to third-party applications; a "software developers' kit" to enable that isn't due until next month. Apple and IBM have been working together on their own.

By BRIAN BERGSTEIN AP Technology Writer

Posted by Bodek Frak At 12:00:00 AM Location Windsor - U of W | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Category Lotus Traveler
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OK, so it is not going to be the actual Lotus Notes client that will go on the iPhone. Turns out, IBM will have a simplified version of Domino Web Access (webmail interface, formerly known as iNotes - wouldn't this name be now perfect for it...?) that will be designed specifically for iPhone. This is in addition to a separate product called Lotus Traveller which has been announced in Sept 2007 and is meant for mobile devices running Windows Mobile (both wired and wireless) to be released with Lotus Notes and Domino 8.0.1 by the end of February 2008.



As currently planned, Lotus Notes Traveler will provide automatic, real-time replication of email, including attachments, calendar, address book, journal and to-do’s and will work over all wired and wireless connections.

Posted by Bodek Frak At 12:00:00 AM Location Windsor - U of W | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Category Lotus Traveler
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c|net NEWS.com

Despite reports that the launch of Lotus Notes for the iPhone and iPod Touch is imminent, IBM says it is not quite ready to release the software. (...) The spokesperson said that speculation over the release may have been prompted by an earlier demonstration of the software by IBM.

See this story for more information.

Posted by Bodek Frak At 11:28:49 AM Location Windsor - U of W | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Category Lotus Traveler BlackBerry Playbook
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IBM does not officially support Traveler on the new BlackBerry Playbook OS 2.0, but our testing shows that for the most part Traveler works great on it as an integrated app (ie. added as an account through the settings screen). So far, we only run into two issues that I described below. To successfully add a Traveler account to your Playbook, you have to use Advanced Setup, select Microsoft Exchange ActiveSynch (ironic, isn't it?), leave domain empty, and instead of just typing the server name you have to use this format: yourservername.yourdomain.com/servlet/traveler.  

These are the issues that we run into so far:

#1 If you accept Notes meeting invitation on your Playbook, the meeting will not be showing on your calendar in Lotus Notes. It will continue showing as unprocessed invitation.

#2 You cannot add more than one Traveler (MS Active Sync) accounts to your Playbook, if Lotus Traveler Policy Settings in Domino Directory (or Traveler Server settings in Traveler db) are configured to "require device password:



With device password being mandatory, when you add a second Traveler (MS Active Sync) accounts to your Playbook, a message comes up at the end of the setup to "Confirm Wipe". If you cancel, your new account setup will not be saved. If you click OK, your existing Traveler account will be removed form the Playbook and replaced by this one.

Posted by Bodek Frak At 10:19:17 AM Location Windsor - U of W | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)