Shared Spaces ... the Collaboration Advisor

News for Today, Feb 11

Today's interesting items:

• Alphalogix added integrated web conferencing capabilities to its Versona Instant Messaging System. Options include the Versona Web Conference Server, WebEx, or other web conferencing services. Alphalogix (although the release isn't there yet ... see eMediaWire)
• Addamark Technologies and Akonix Systems formed a strategic partnership to enable Akonix L7 Enterprise IM gateway customers to capture, store and analyze their IM transcripts in the Addamark Omnisight data retention and analysis product. Akonix
• PalmSource introduced Palm OS Garnet (previously 5.4), an enhanced version of the Palm OS. New features: more security networking, and ease of use improvement. Palm OS Cobalt (previously OS 6) was announced, featuring multitasking and multithreading, memory protection, support for more memory and larger screens, and other capabilities. Comment: About time too! Lack of multithreading and multitasking has been a MAJOR limitation of the Palm platform for wireless applications that can run in the background, and in which Microsoft has had a lead with Pocket PC for multiple years. PalmSource. Analysis: PCWorld, Technology News
• Jabber announced that the IETF has approved the XMPP-IM specification as a proposed standard for instant messaging and presence. XMPP-Core for presence-enabled communications was ratified recently. Jabber (... but it's not there yet ... see BusinessWire and IETF)
• Followap announced an integration between its iFollow Presence Server (a carrier-class IM and presence server) and NMS Communications' Open Access platform, thus providing presence-enabled voice services for mobile subscribers. In other words, from a presence-enabled buddy list on a mobile phone, users will be able to initiate a phone call. Followap and NMS Communications
• America Online and AT&T Wireless announced new mobile IM services, including a version of AOL Instant Messenger embedded into various AT&T Wireless phones, a version of ICQ for AT&T phones, and an IM-to-Text feature that lets AOL members send IMs from the desktop to AT&T Wireless customers. AT&T Wireless

News for Today, Feb 10

There's been a bit going on in the past few days:

AOL released Version 5.5 of its AOL Instant Messenger client, which adds support for desktop video conferencing. The FCC recently relaxed the rules it established for AOL and Time Warner at the time of the merger, stating at that time that AOL could not offer 'advanced instant messaging' services unless IM interop was in place. With Yahoo and Microsoft's IM offerings gaining those exact features and more users in the intervening years, those restrictions were increasingly silly. AIM 5.5 enables video interop with Mac iChat clients, something which one analyst said made it a "fairly significant upgrade". But in reality, it's not, since iChat merely has the AIM protocols embedded inside, and any @mac.com user that signs into AIM is merely using a federated namespace for login purposes. InfoWorld PCWorld

A recent survey by Osterman Research found that 61.4% of corporate email users use Microsoft Outlook, followed by Lotus Notes at 19.4% (survey size of 320). Comment: If it is true that 90-95% of the market purchases the Microsoft Office suite, which includes a copy of Outlook be default, then Microsoft should be fairly upset with that figure ... it means that 1/3 of potential users are proactively choosing another email client. Line56

Microsoft is facing resistance among its customers to its strong arm licensing program. Internet Week. In addition, for its 2Q2004 ended December 31, Microsoft announced a drastically reduced profit for its Windows server and tools unit. CRN

AgileMobile released Version 2.0 of Agile Messenger, an IM client for smartphones based on the Symbian OS and the Microsoft Smartphone platform. AgileMobile

A review of the degree to which IM clients will be subject to viruses, trojans, and other threats. eChannelLine Canada

FaceTime is sponsoring a February 17th Webinar entitled "A Practical Guide to Selecting the Right IM Security Solution", a business it is obviously deeply involved in. Windows & .NET Magazine

• IBM Lotus is decreasing its focus on Notes for the Mac in the short term, although is planning to treat the Mac, Linux and Windows as equal platform in its forthcoming rich client platform for Lotus Workplace. vowe.net
• Microsoft released Version 2.0 of its Business Portal. New features: integration with Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services (in Windows Server 2003), support for SharePoint Web Parts (from Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003), and others. BetaNews

• Interwoven released Version 8.0 of WorkSite, its platform for matter-centric collaboration in law firms. "WorkSite 8.0 allows law firms to effectively consolidate all relevant content for any given matter-documents, e-mails, billing information, and contacts-in a single electronic matter file that can be accessed globally." Interwoven

Nothing to do with Shared Spaces, but this made me laugh. Telecom NZ awards a monthly prize of NZ$10,000 (about US$6700 at the moment) to one customer who fills out the bill insert game correctly. This month the winner was Grant Forsyth, the government relations manager at Telecom's archrival TelstraClear. ComputerWorld NZ

News for Today, Feb 5

Newsworthy items:

• Good Technology announced Version 3.0 of GoodLink, its wireless email software for Microsoft Exchange environments. New features: role-based administration, visual interface on GoodLink devices, and rich attachment support, among others. Good Technology. The press release says that "GoodLink 3.0 offers Dell's customers the latest software for wireless corporate messaging .... Dell and Good Technology are providing ... customers with the ability to harness the power of wireless networks, systems and devices, providing immediate wireless access to the information that's important to them", but this PC Magazine interview (February 3, 2004) has Michael Dell claiming to use a RIM BlackBerry for wireless email. What gives?
• Good Technology also announced that GoodLink 3.0 will support Microsoft Windows Mobile for Pocket PCs (essentially Pocket PC 2003). Good Technology. Industry commentary: Reuters, siliconvalley.com, theregister.co.uk and ComputerWorld.
• PalmSource wants to broaden the appeal for the PalmOS beyond handhelds and high-end phones. Its new OS strategy will be announced next week. NYTimes
• Alphalogix launched the Versona Instant Messaging System, a client-server IM system for enterprise customers. Key features: thin client, built on Java, cross-platform support, interoperability with the public IM networks (AOL, Yahoo and MSN), connectivity with corporate IM platforms (Lotus IM, Microsoft OLCS), and SIP/SIMPLE and Jabber/XMPP support, among others. Alphalogix
• RIM claimed it had over one million active subscribers for its BlackBerry wireless email devices. RIM. That's growth from 865,000 in Nov03, and 711,000 in Sep03.
• Microsoft says that Windows is better for "connecting different applications" than IBM and Linux. CNET News

News for Today, Feb 4

Developments of the day:

• PricewaterhouseCoopers forecast that "a surge in broadband usage in the UK is just around the corner and ... it will come about because of .... collaborative technologies such as video conferencing and instant messaging" rather than traditional media content. I agree that video conferencing is interesting and cool, and will be driver for broadband adoption, but not sure about IM. Whilst broadband offers an always on network, today's systems are poor at providing presence when the user is away from their computer. silicon.com
• As mentioned last week, BlueTie today released DirectConnect for Microsoft Outlook, which connects an Outlook client with the BlueTie collaboration server over the Internet (read: no Exchange Server; ASP model of collaboration; good for individual professionals and the SMB market). BlueTie DirectConnect offers local replication of tasks, calendar items, and contacts, with email replication to follow in a later release. Comment: BlueTie has solved Outlook's lack of a local cached message store (in versions prior to Outlook 2003). BlueTie
• Ektron Inc. enabled its content management solution and editing tool to work within Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003. Ektron
• A review of how the Department of Defense developed the Defense Collaboration Tool Suite (DCTS) architecture. Military Information Technology

News for Today, Feb 3

A range of interesting developments today:

• Kubi Software released Version 1.2 of the Kubi Client and Kubi Server, products that offer 'collaborative email' (in Kubi-speak) or team workspace functionality within an email client (in my-speak). New features: document versioning, the ability to create a new Kubi space based on an existing Kubi template, and new system compatibility (Notes 6.5, Domino 6.5 and Exchange 2003), among others. Available immediately. Kubi Software
• Visto acquired the software division of Psion plc., which gives it access to enterprise-class push-based email software for Symbian-based devices. eWeek
• p2pLog released Version 2.0 of its instant messaging archiving and compliance solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Adds support for Microsoft Exchange IM. p2pLog
• The writing is on the wall for Public Folders within Microsoft Exchange. Customers should build collaborative capabilities using other components of the Microsoft collaboration suite, namely SharePoint Portal Server and Windows SharePoint Servers. Exchange & Outlook Update
• Lawrence Livermore National Labs has recently completed a study on using Mac's for enterprise computing. Some extracts are noted by Ephraim Schwartz.

Other things:

• Simpler-Webb released a new version of its resource manager for Microsoft Exchange. Simpler-Webb
• Network World reviewed Microsoft Live Communications Server 2003. Rated at 4.13 out of 5 (excellent). "We recently tested LCS and found it to be much better than the IM in Exchange 2000, but perhaps too limited for those looking to purchase an IM package as a separate system." Network World
• NTT DoCoMo has had second thoughts about its joint venture with Microsoft to offer mobile groupware solutions to the small and medium-sized business market in Japan. pmn.co.uk
• Industry leaders and academics are meeting in New York to discuss how to step up productivity in business, with a particular focus on the needs and requirements of information workers. The meeting is "focused on creating a framework for businesses to measure productivity stemming from information-centric technology such as e-mail, instant messaging, team workspaces, video conferencing and Web conferencing." Network World
• Socialtext added the RSS syndication standard to its Workspace and Eventspace products. Socialtext

News for Today, Feb 2

From a misty day in Wellington NZ, here's the news of the day:

• Winfessor announced a new IM server, named SoapBox Server 2004. Key features: standards compliance with XMPP/Jabber, message archiving, message encryption, and others. Available 2Q2004. Winfessor
• The IETF approved the core specifications of XMPP for an instant messaging and presence protocol. "The approved document, known as "XMPP-Core," provides specifications for general-purpose real-time data communications, enabling users and applications to exchange streaming XML messages, and incorporating dynamic presence and availability information." Further work is required on standardizing XMPP for real-time message exchange (XMPP-IM), end-to-end encryption (XMPP-E2E), and a mapping document for message syntax (XMPP-CPIM). IMPlanet
• Microsoft, HP and others have introduced a migration program to encourage users of Domino 4.6 to migrate to the Microsoft collaboration suite. CNET Asia
• Wireless and mobile devices that pack an increased number of features and functions are "wasted on the average person" and "many people [find them] overwhelming". Reuters