IBM hasextended
supportfor its flagship Lotus Notes collaboration
software to the Apple iPhone and announced upgrades to Notes for
Symbian and Windows Mobile mobile devices.
With support for Research in Motion's BlackBerry phones, Notes
now supports enterprise-class applications on most popular mobile
devices.
IBM also said yesterday it would give away its Domino Designer
software tools for free to encourage software developers to write
mobile applications for smartphones and other mobile devices.
IBM said it would also simplify the way it licenses Lotus Domino
client software. Users would now be licensed for functional needs
rather than client types, with two simple access licences replacing
11 software products.
IBM also offered hosting services for Lotus Notes Traveler
through its Mobile Enterprise Services.
IBM said two billion people would become mobile web users in the
next decade, changing the way most people access the internet.
It said business users would be able to access corporate
applications and processes using Lotus Notes and Domino
applications on mobile and Web-connected devices such as the Apple
iPhone, Nokia smartphones, thin clients, laptops and desktops.
Lotus Domino 8.5.1 was the first version to support the iPhone
via Lotus Notes Traveler software. This extended automatic synching
for e-mail, contacts and calendar data to the iPhone. This would
help to address growing user demand to access Notes and Domino
applications on the road, IBM said.
The new features include push e-mail, contacts, and calendar.
They let iPhone users work off-line, and allowed confidential data
to be erased remotely if an iPhone was lost or stolen.
iPhone users could also use a corporate directory look-up
feature which helped them find contact information behind their
company firewall.
IBM also updated Notes for Symbian and Windows Mobile phones to
include remote wipe, device lock, password management and external
calendar integration.
The move will make available millions of existing Lotus Domino
applications to mobile users, said IBM's vice president of
messaging and collaboration, Kevin Cavanaugh.
Several hundred organisations have tested the new version of
Lotus Notes during the past few months, he said.
"Prudential UK beta-tested this new Lotus Notes and Traveler
software; it was quick and easy to download and use on the iPhone,"
said Neil Davis, messaging specialist at the Pru, a life insurance
and pensions provider.
The new Lotus Notes allowed the New Jersey Department of Health
and Senior Services speed up its response to the H1N1 influenza
scare, said its software architect Tim Lorge. "Having all of our
collaboration tools integrated into one application enabled our
teams to work more effectively and cohesively," he said.
Pioneer Petroleums, Ontario's largest independent gasoline
retailer, was planning to roll out the new Notes to improve
communications among corporate and retail personnel, said its IT
director, Dale Sinstead.