IBM is to bundle server-side, Java-based office suite in with in its WebSphere portal, according to CRN. It"s a shot against Microsoft, and Sun Microsystems too.
Big Blue is entering a crowded field. Sun offers its StarOffice package in both as a fat client and as a thin client for stateless terminals, such as Sun"s own SunRays. Microsoft and Citrix enable sites to run Office on thin clients too. And there are dedicated productivity suites such as the Java-based ThinkFree.
In an exquisite understatement, CRN reporters Barbara Darrow and Paula Rooney observe that "IBM has not distinguished itself in desktop software."
Indeed, and it"s quite a colorful history, too.