IBM has announced the launch of business grade
Open Document Format (ODF)-based application services.
The general availability of
Lotus
Symphony 1.0 for businesses gives them fully supported tools
for creating and sharing documents, spreadsheets and
presentations.
The move is seen as a full-blooded challenge by IBM to place
open-source
ODF-based apps directly against Microsoft's proprietary Office
suite of apps.
Although Lotus Symphony is a free download from the web with
free online, moderated support, IBM is announcing fee-based
services to support the needs of large organisations.
This optional service, IBM Elite Support for Lotus Symphony 1.0,
delivers unlimited remote technical support at a level consistent
with other IBM software products, via an annual subscription to
IBM's Passport Advantage or Passport Advantage Express volume
licensing programmes.
IBM said Lotus Symphony "could save a company with 20,000
employees £4m in software licence fees, or potentially more than
£2m in software renewal fees", but did not specify what it was
benchmarking the figure on.
IBM said that if that same firm chose to switch to Symphony for
only half of its employees, it could still save several million
pounds in licence or renewal fees, even if it subscribed to IBM's
Elite Support services at £12.50 per user for 1,000 employees.
Launched in September 2007, Lotus Symphony has been downloaded
by nearly a million individuals in an open public beta
programme.
IBM said, "A growing number of businesses are considering
decisions to renew their Microsoft Office licensing agreements, and
move up to Office 2007 and Vista.
"Lotus Symphony 1.0 provides a timely and cost-effective
alternative, tested by nearly 1m people worldwide."