IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet) [LWN.net]

IBM is paying customers to dump Microsoft Exchange, according to this article on ZDNet. "IBM upped the stakes in an ongoing contest over corporate e-mail software with a program that offers business partners up to $20,000 to dump Microsoft's Exchange in favor of IBM's Lotus software on Linux. Dubbed "Migrate to the Penguin," the latest IBM incentive plan, to be announced later on Thursday, is an expansion of its Move2Lotus program, which is aimed at winning over third-party consultants and software resellers that work with Microsoft's Exchange."

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IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet)

Posted Mar 31, 2006 1:08 UTC (Fri) by NCunningham (guest, #6457) [Link] (9 responses)

Nooooo! Don't do it!

Well, not if it involves having to run Notes. The support for Linux is non
existent, and it's painful when you do use it.

Admittedly we're using a version that's a little old (6.5.1), but still...

IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet)

Posted Mar 31, 2006 1:27 UTC (Fri) by drag (guest, #31333) [Link]

IBM's new thing is their Workspace stuff.
http://www-142.ibm.com/software/workplace/products/produc...

Actually called "IBM's Managed Workspace Client". From what I understand it's a client for a sort of a network-based desktop. It's used for building all sorts of business desktop oriented stuff..

Lot of java stuff, of course. It's designed to be cross platform and currently supports Linux and Windows with Macs coming up.

They claim that you should be able to run all your 'lotus notes applications' inside your 'Managed Workspace Client container'.

So basicly they moved everything off of the local machine and onto the network were it doesn't realy matter what OS your using as long as it supports this client.

I would expect that's eventually what this 'move2lotus' will turn out to be even though they didn't mention it in this article.

IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet)

Posted Mar 31, 2006 1:51 UTC (Fri) by wilreichert (guest, #17680) [Link] (4 responses)

I'll second, third, and fourth that. I wouldn't wish notes on anyone. It has to be the most unintuitive and confusing application I've ever had the misfortune of having forced upon me.

IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet)

Posted Mar 31, 2006 6:12 UTC (Fri) by freddyh (guest, #21133) [Link] (3 responses)

Then I'll fifth and sixth that. Next to being unintuitive and confusing it also feels as if it's running on ancient hardware: it's irritating slow!

Getting people away from Exchange is a good idea, but trying to do so with Lotus is perhaps the worst possible attempt to do so.

Just my 2 ct.
FreddyH

oh, but...

Posted Mar 31, 2006 6:26 UTC (Fri) by gvy (guest, #11981) [Link]

That's why the bounty? :]

IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet)

Posted Mar 31, 2006 16:10 UTC (Fri) by clump (subscriber, #27801) [Link] (1 responses)

I will 7th and 8th that. I couldn't believe how silly Notes was when I first used it. It annoys me that IBM is making this a "Linux" thing. The last thing I want it Lotus users blaming Linux.

And to make matters worse, I am an IBM contractor.

IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet)

Posted Mar 31, 2006 20:05 UTC (Fri) by wilreichert (guest, #17680) [Link]

"And to make matters worse, I am an IBM contractor."

Makes two of us.

IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet)

Posted Mar 31, 2006 2:52 UTC (Fri) by Ross (guest, #4065) [Link]

I thought there wasn't even a Linux client, just the Windows version under WINE, or a Web-based interface.

IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet)

Posted Mar 31, 2006 13:23 UTC (Fri) by clugstj (subscriber, #4020) [Link]

You're lucky. The company I work for is in the process of migrating from Notes to Outlook. When I asked why, no one could provide a good reason. I guess the "incentive" to go that way is higher.

I've been running Notes 6.5.1 for years now under Wine with no more problems than the Windows users have with it.

Creature from Outer Space

Posted Apr 3, 2006 22:38 UTC (Mon) by man_ls (guest, #15091) [Link]

It is not your version. Lotus Notes is a crime against humanity. Each time I go back to it I find it looks worse and behaves like it hates you. Switching away from it is worth $20,000.

IBM offers bounty for Exchange customers (ZDNet)

Posted Mar 31, 2006 17:47 UTC (Fri) by jd (guest, #26381) [Link]

Now, I could understand a bounty to move from Exchange to OpenGroupware - OGo seems to be a decent piece of software, should provide most of what the customers are expecting, and runs correctly on Linux. It might not sell Lotus Notes, but it might easily sell some of IBM's hardware. And that is where IBM makes the money anyway. The main catch is that IBM doesn't make OGo (Skyrix does) and IBM has never been famous for plugging other people's products. It's impressive that they're working with Linux as much as they are.

I could even understand IBM producing the necessary extensions to Postfix or Sendmail, so that they could compete better with Exchange. IBM is not a Microsoft fan, I can't see them worrying about the ethics of using Open Source to deliberately crash the mailserver market, but I can't think of any way they could turn it into a profit for them. They still wouldn't be selling any additional software or hardware.

Now, the logical alternative would be for IBM to buy up OGo completely, integrate it with lotus Notes, and thus have something that could run as a hybrid Exchange/Notes server. The benefit would be that such a hybrid could be sold to existing customers of either, it could ease the transition from Exchange to other technologies, and a relatively obscure piece of useful software would actually get used by someone other than us ubernerds who are determined to track down obscure pieces of useful software.