Alexey Zimarev's blog

Let's look at Lotus Domino in the IBM Cloud

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.

IBM Announces Lotus Notes in the Cloud

The good news came today from IBM:

 

IBM® Lotus® Domino® Utility Server for LotusLive, a new cloud-focused licensing model, simplifies the discussion and buying decision for deploying Lotus Domino collaborative applications in the cloud and moving end users to IBM's best-in-class, cloud-based messaging for the enterprise, LotusLive Notes®. Many organizations today want to manage infrastructure through streamlined, predictable costs with pervasive connectivity, high availability, and flexible deployment options.

IBM EMEA Announcement Letter.

 

But further reading raises more questions than answers. Licensing is "the same as for Domino Utilities Server", which is ridiculously expensive and is one time paid for the purchase and later for maintenance - we all know "The Cloud" hype offers fixed monthly payments based on the number of users. So, what does it mean really? Does IBM want to sell their own Domino hosting using "cloud" as a pure marketing word? At least for now and for me the first answer is - yes, and it even doesn't look like SaaS. Also interoperability with the other LotusLive offerings is under a big question especially when looking at the current state of two mail platforms of LotusLive. For my business interests I'd rather like to know if IBM will offer access from these "cloud" Domino to their LotusLive mail. For now there's no clear picture, everything is in fog (or must I have said "cloud")?

Looking close at LotusLive Blackberry offering

I was very optimistic first to hear from LotusLive people that hosted BES service will be a part of the LotusLive mail offering. I also hoped that Sametime will be a part of the service too, or similar thing for the instant messaging whatever could it be called in LotusLive.

Not long after I started that discussion on LinkedIn LotusLive group, the BES hosted solution for LotusLive was announced by IBM and it was as I thought the answer for my long lasting question of having a decent BES for small businesses. I have also published the announcement here.

However, I also read this post and found out that it's not that easy and straightforward as I would expect it to be. There might be anything in the IBM's offering but simplicity is missing. Pity that IBM still targets their solution for larger companies - just see the condition "starting from 300 users". Well guys, we'll see what Microsoft has to offer!

So for a small business that wants to stay with Notes the only option is to keep the infrastructure and use BES Express. Not very clever from IBM's side considering all moves of their competitors targeting countless small businesses with no-office mobile workers!