IBM had quite interesting conference call today about Lotus alternatives to Microsoft SharePoint and Windows SharePoint Services. I think that it was more one sided view but anyway, there was some really good points inside.
I just hate price comparison, because it cannot be true, both IBM and Microsoft are doing special bids or has other ways how to improve their price. Also as far as I agree that you have to have a MS Windows and MS Office to use SharePoint I don't think it is fare enough to count the price of these products into SharePoint price.
When you compare the idea of MS and IBM there is one difference - MS wants everything to communicate with Office which is the main tool for every user, while IBM don't care too much about the user tool, just want to enable them to use it from any tool they are using. Cannot say which idea is better or which like more but when you imagine your LN client with Quickr connector you have almost the same result MS has with Office.
I really like the idea of Quickr connector, which enables you to send email and save attachments directly into Quickr and send just a link to them. That looks wonderful, till you get this email off-line and need to get on-line to download it. On the other hand it is possible to have a local "replica" of Quickr, while MS enables you to just download the content into Outlook where it isn't linked anymore (cannot imagine the result after several downloads or changes).
There is also new product called Lotus Quickr Content Integrator which lets you integrate your documents from Domino Document Manager, Lotus Notes Team Rooms (two ways integration), Exchange Public Folders and SharePoint (also two ways integration). This also get you which database inside Lotus Notes you should use for documents sharing - not Discussion Database but Team Rooms is the right choice.
Built-in viewers is something "old" - I think it was there from the first version and it is still there, which is good, because sometimes you just don't have the correct software on the computer.
Lotus Connections and Quickr should be really nice product. Just think that you need to wait for Connections 2.0 as I don't think that version 1 is something extra, I'm missing a lot of things there (but it is another story). And while you have just plain Quickr, the SharePoint Services (which are free with Windows server) have almost the same capabilities, when you combine Quickr and Connections there is no opponent on MS side. And then it is also interesting as I had a look on Quickr few days ago and wasn't impressed at all. It is nice (and it is almost the same as QuickPlace few years ago) but there is just 3 templates (you can get another from SNAPPS), but I don't see a huge profit from having an another blog template (you have one in Domino) or Wiki, so just Team Spaces are left which is fine to share documents about some project but it isn't too much. Yeah, there is the argument about no involvement from IT side of company when you need a new place, but it isn't a big deal for most customers I know.
Last but not least - I'm starting to love Skype. You even don't need to pay for SkypeOut and are able to call to free numbers in states. Wonderful and easy to connect with this.
IBM thanks for this conference, I'm really looking forward to next one.
Around Africa on my bicycle
Tue, Mar 9th 2010 3:24a Martin Humpolec Don't worry, this one isn't about my next adventure, it is just to crazy for me (probably :-)) - just finished reading a book from Riaan Manser, a guy from South Africa, who circumnavigated the whole continent of Africa. This guy must be really mad, he wanted to go around this huge region on his bike during one year. Didn't make it in time, it took more than 2 years, but after all he got through safely, didn't miss a country (but a few of them took shorter than he planned to) and after all wrote [read] Keywords: notes
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Ochutnávka vín PHANT
Tue, Mar 2nd 2010 3:28a Martin Humpolec To takhle jednou můj bratr poslal pozvánku na ochutnávku jihoafrických vín, že prý jde také a zda nechceme vyrazit. A tak jsme se přihlásili a vyrazili. Cílem byl bar na Vinohradech s krásným jménem Bar and Books. Pobočku má ještě v Týnské ulici a pak v New Yorku. Obsluha milá a na úrovni, hned nám sebrali kabáty, usadili nás a nabídli něco k pití, než začne vlastní ochutnávka. Prostředí je opravdu krásné, bar je zjevn& [read] Keywords:
Expedice Ydykseb
Tue, Feb 23rd 2010 3:24a Martin Humpolec Naše další krátká dovolená v letošní zimě, při které jsme si vyzkoušeli krásy našich hor (pokud se tedy Moraváci neurazí, že já, Pražák, je považuji také za své). Jana má oblibu v českých filmech a S tebou mě baví svět patří mezi jejich špičku. Takže proč jednou nezkusit podobnou expedici jako absolvovali oni. Tedy né tak úplně, cestu vlakem (s několika přestupy a ve finál [read] Keywords: application
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How works YOUR Lotus User Group?
Tue, Feb 16th 2010 3:24a Martin Humpolec As far as I know, there are several LUGs around the world, each of them works probably in different way. My question is, how does work your one, are you happy about it or do you see any improvements to its work? Is beer every then and now enough, are you doing regular workshops or do you think it is fine to have once a year some bigger conference? Is it fine when it happens just in one place or should it run around the country? Should it be something just for you (community, active users) or do [read] Keywords: lotus
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7 Second Demos
Thu, Feb 11th 2010 3:24a Martin Humpolec I like the ideas people in Microsoft have (at least time to time).Been there a while ago and on a huge screen on reception saw some incredible videos. Just imagine having 7 seconds (because it is about Windows 7) to show some new feature in your new product. In some of them they also had a time to finish their coffees and all of them were "visibly surprised" by the request "show me what is new". OK, it is probably nothing extra superb, but definitely something people will share and easily rememb [read] Keywords: microsoft
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Sudelfeld
Tue, Feb 9th 2010 4:24a Martin Humpolec Zima přišla, sníh také napadl, nejvyšší čas vyrazit lyžovat. Letos navíc děláme "velkou srovnávací akci" - budeme porovnávat zahraničí a Česko a budeme (doufejme) jezdit na kratší dobu, ale častěji. První středisko v našem hledáčku byl Sudelfeld, ležící na hranicích Německa a Rakouska, přibližně hodinku od Mnichova. Z Prahy tedy relativně kousek a po vesměs dobrých dáln [read] Keywords:
