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November 06, 2003
Maybe IBM is right?
Three things happened in the last ten days that makes me think IBM is right about their direction with Domino as collaboration components for WebSphere and that in the future you won't see Domino server / Notes fat-client apps anymore than you see FoxPro apps now.
First, I installed WebSphere 5 on Linux for a department that wants to start testing. My problems were mostly with Linux and I think I wouldn't have had any problems installing it on Windows. It appears to me the WebSphere installation has really progressed. The web configuation is nicely done. Who had the big brain to store the WS configuration data in XML instead of DB2? Good thinking.
Second, I met with an internal customer that wanted a change made to their ten year-old Notes application, which was in their view, get rid of Notes. We started talking about the problem they wanted to solve and I found myself sounding like an IBM PR speaker. I was explaining that they wanted Domino to be a collaborative component of their process and it could integrate in with the other software they are using to manage documents. And, it made sense to them.
Third, I got an e-mail from BoomVang saying they are no longer going to be BoomVang. They are changing their name and business model. Reading between the lines, it appeared to me that they were going to start branching out to partner with other companies and not be a Notes-only shop. Smart.
Posted by michael at November 6, 2003 02:59 PM
Comments
Ok, websphere install is cleaner than before...cause before install was a nightmare !
Same is true for Portal server...the first feature IBM push for portal 5 is that install is easier...
my god !
Anyway, as always, right tool for the right job! Domino has been over used or used for things he can't handle well. I hope websphere won't be used for things it does't handle well (unstructured content, departemental apps, non transactional apps)...or be prepared to spend bunch of time and dollars re inventing the wheel !
Posted by: Michael at November 7, 2003 11:43 AM
You are spot on about Domino being over used for things it doesn't handle well. I think one of the big problems with Domino is how EASY it is to mis-use it for things it isn't meant for. Right now, I don't see WebSphere being too easy for department applications, right now.
Posted by: Michael Braly at November 7, 2003 11:48 AM