Google has welcomed IBM's announcement of a cloud-based
on-demand e-mail, calendaring and contact management
system.
Google said IBM's launch of
LotusLive iNotes is a validation of the cloud, according to
Reuters.
IBM is charging $12 per user a year for its LotusLive iNotes,
compared with Google's $50 for its Google Apps Premier Edition,
In addition to undercutting Google's prices, IBM is hoping to
capitalise on business concerns about the
service outages that have hit Gmail users, said analysts.
Announcing LotusLive iNotes, IBM said the service is based on
technology purchased from the Hong Kong company Outblaze that is
secure and reliable.
Although IBM said no company can guarantee 100% uptime for
on-demand applications, IBM has a long-standing track record of
running "the world's mission-critical systems."
IBM is also hoping to win business from Microsoft customers who
are not ready to migrate to Exchange 2010 release.
But Google said IBM still has to prove its reliability and
pointed out that Google Apps goes far beyond e-mail, calendaring
and contact management.