Following the release of native Domino server code for the IBM AS/400, Lotus Development and IBM SA are jointly coming to market with solutions which take green screen users into the world of business applications and Internet messaging.
The move was spurred in part by IDC figures released late last year which state that over 70% of AS/400 users worldwide have no available messaging functionality. Now that Domino is available for the platform it`s clearly a market to be addressing, says Steve Ayres, Lotus/IBM partner sales manager.
"Feedback from existing AS/400 users - around 500 000 of which exist in EMEA - also told us that issues surrounding co-existence between PCs and terminals, Year 2000-compliance and Internet messaging were a concern.
"The consensus was that integrated solutions which include support, service and maintenance would be the answer."
"Lotus Domino is now available across any platform - from single desktop PC, through the AS/400, to the largest S/390," says Vincent Zandvliet, general manager: software at IBM South Africa.
Lotus subsequently put together the packages - each of which caters to a different section of the market - in 50, 150 and 300 user flavours. These will be sold and supported locally through the extensive chain of AS/400 resellers and Lotus business partners.
"On the one hand we have a solution targeted at those companies requiring fully-functional Internet and internal messaging. It is comprised of a Domino server and the Evergreen/400 middleware," says Ayres.
This option enables an AS/400 to act as an SMTP email gateway between the Internet and local networks for all PCs or terminals on the network.
"On the other hand, we have a solution which offers messaging and series of productivity applications," says Ayres.
"Business-in-a-box and the Domino server combine to provide a solid starting point for companies with an AS/400 infrastructure looking to extend business applications and messaging to their users."
By choosing to go this route, applications common to Notes deployments like contact management and sales order can be made available to AS/400 users, says Ayres.
"What we are doing with these bundles is providing a solution for corporates managing a network made up of PCs and non-programmable workstations."
For more information on Lotus and IBM`s AS/400 business and messaging solutions, point a browser to www.lotus.com in the events section.
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