Today IBM announced that Domino Utilities server hosted in the cloud would also be accessible from LotusLive Notes clients. That's basically it as I can rear this announcement that has been reposted and retwitted by many today (including me). IBM Smart Business Cloud has been announced earlier on LotusSphere 2011 and offers a possibility to host your Domino server on IBM hardware with different pricing options. But I would rather read and look at it again and see if the reality is same rainbow as many try to represent it in blogosphere.
This video from IdoNotes demonstrates how would you get a Domino server in the cloud:
Impressive list of licensing options, don't you think so? I get back to the announcement to see what it says - "IBM® Lotus® Domino® Utility Server for LotusLive, a new cloud-focused licensing model".
So, do you still think you get some sort of LotusLive Domino? I don't really see it. Compare the process on that video above with LotusLive Notes page. I see the difference quite clearly. I see - from $5 per user per month. Point. Straight and clear. With Domino server in the cloud it is completely different. You see gigabytes of RAM, storage space, transferred data, backup etc etc. Imagine I am CEO of some small business. I have seen some great Domino application on the market that will do for my CRM. I hear a lot about new Lotus cloud solutions and now about the availability of Domino server in the cloud, basically this completes the picture in my eyes and I am ready to buy. Would I be able doing this? No. No no no. This will not work. What I see again raises my very old question again - when the Domino platform itself is very much suitable for small businesses the IBM policy around pricing and licensing is unsuitable for that. I could understand that IBM continues talking with their existing large customers and adopts the licensing models according their needs. This is what Ed Brill says - we do it like customer want. My question is - what customers? You potential customers that you want to gain or your existing customers that you're trying not to lose?
Here you can see the comment #7 asking about this and I am wondering what would be the answer. Will check this tomorrow.
You can also see my comment there and the answer from Mr Brill. So he gives a few formal criteria what IBM assumes as the cloud and based on the formal compliance with those criteria for him it is clear - yes, we have offered the Domino server in the cloud. Sorry but it doesn't really convinces me although my opinion might not be that important for IBM. What I see is old-but-forgotten-and-now-reborn-using-new-hype-name - Domino hosting. Which exists for many years and offers almost the same pricing and licensing modes and so on and so on. But it's not cool, it's not "cloud" and this magic word makes buzz in blogs without actually looking in what is it really.
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