IBM's Lotus Software will kick off its 11th annual Lotusphere user conference this week reiterating its J2EE and Web services-based collaboration mantra of the past few years.
Most of the show's emphasis will focus on the Workplace strategy, first introduced last year, which is designed to break collaboration technologies down into components that can be embedded in applications and business processes.
At the show, Lotus plans to detail Version 2.0 of the Workplace platform, featuring integration with Eclipse open source tools and tools tailored to nonprogrammers. Eclipse tools offer a rich client experience by streamlining the process of pulling in a traditional Notes look and feel as well as features such as drag and drop and offline capabilities.
Also debuting at the show will be Workplace Builder, another feature in 2.0 that delivers tools to let nonprogrammers customize and store work as a template in Workplace.
Lotusphere also will unearth more details about Version 7.0 of the Notes Domino messaging platform, due at the end of 2004 or early 2005, said Ken Bisconti, vice president of messaging at IBM.
Version 7.0 will offer DB2 as an optional data store and improved portal and application connectivity. IBM also plans to give users a quick glimpse of Notes beyond 7.0, where the focus of development will be to blend its J2EE-based Workplace environment with its traditional collaboration products.
"We will focus on communications about ... how [customers] can go forward with our strategy," Bisconti said.
News source: InfoWorld - IBM lays out collaboration plans
