The Foundations Blog The independant resource for Lotus Foundations news http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/ en-us Wed, 5 Aug 2009 06:12:10 +0100 IBM to host Lotus Foundations servers in UK Forum locations Wed, 5 Aug 2009 06:12:10 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/ibm-to-host-lotus-foundations-servers-in-uk-forum-locations foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/ibm-to-host-lotus-foundations-servers-in-uk-forum-locations?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/ibm-to-host-lotus-foundations-servers-in-uk-forum-locations I am delighted to announce that from the 1st September 2009, there will be a Lotus Foundations Server installed in each of the IBM Forums at IBM Bedfont and IBM Warwick that Business Partners may use for customer presentations, staff training or for general familiarity.

These devices will be securely installed on a podium and will be complimented by ThinkPad laptops to help you demonstrate the capabilities of not only Lotus Foundations Start  and Branch Office, but also the two new Tivoli Appliances that we have announced: Tivoli Help Desk and Tivoli Monitoring.

These solutions may be demonstrated from either the podium itself or from a conference room, via the Forum's private network, allowing for confidential customer meetings to be held on IBM's premises.So, if you're a prospective customer and would like to see a demo of Lotus Foundations, get in touch... ]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/ibm-to-host-lotus-foundations-servers-in-uk-forum-locations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/ibm-to-host-lotus-foundations-servers-in-uk-forum-locations?opendocument&comments Lotus Foundations Reach - it really is this easy... Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:56:57 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-reach-it-really-is-this-easy... foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-reach-it-really-is-this-easy...?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-reach-it-really-is-this-easy... Lotus Foundations Start server (i.e. Lotus Foundations Reach):

Lotus Foundations Reach webcast
(click through to video)

This really does show the value of the Lotus Foundations proposition - if only it were that easy to install Sametime on a standard Domino server! ]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/lotus-foundations-reach-it-really-is-this-easy... http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-reach-it-really-is-this-easy...?opendocument&comments Lotus Foundations reaches out for instant messaging and presence awareness Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:19:33 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-reaches-out-for-instant-messaging-and-presence-awareness foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-reaches-out-for-instant-messaging-and-presence-awareness?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-reaches-out-for-instant-messaging-and-presence-awareness IBM today announced a new, self-managing, “office in a box” appliance for small and midsized businesses (SMBs) that combines all of the unified communications and collaboration (UC2) tools needed to run a business with the ability to connect to telephony, in a single solution. For smaller businesses with limited IT expertise, the solution reduces complexity and enables employees to instantly access people and information, resulting in increased efficiency, productivity and lower operating costs.  

The new Lotus Foundations Reach solution customizes and extends the IBM Sametime UC2 capabilities in a single appliance designed specifically for SMBs that have limited IT skills and smaller budgets. In about an hour, a business can install and configure its entire UC environment in a system small enough to fit under a desk. Unlike competitive offerings, Foundations Reach minimizes the need for human intervention with self-managing technology that automates IT tasks such as adjusting to workload demands, conducting proactive system checks for security and reliability of the network, and detecting and repairing potential issues.

Lotus Foundations Reach enhances the user experience by reducing the complexities associated with deploying and managing communications and collaboration solutions. From one convenient platform, Lotus Foundations Reach combines key UC features such as instant messaging (IM), presence awareness to see who is online and available, email, calendars, contacts, office productivity tools, network security, remote access, file and print sharing, and backup and disaster recovery. The ability to access these capabilities from a mobile device makes it easier for users that travel or work remotely.Excellent news... This makes Foundations an even better one-server solution for SMBs.
IBM Lotus Foundations Reach will be available for purchase next month. For more information on the Lotus Foundations portfolio, visit:  www.ibm.com/lotus/foundations.
Link: IBM Simplifies Unified Communications for SMBs ]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/lotus-foundations-reaches-out-for-instant-messaging-and-presence-awareness http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-reaches-out-for-instant-messaging-and-presence-awareness?opendocument&comments Lotus Foundations: "A Real Choice for Small Businesses and Partners" Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:15:50 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-a-real-choice-for-small-businesses-and-partners foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-a-real-choice-for-small-businesses-and-partners?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-a-real-choice-for-small-businesses-and-partners Laurie McCabe of Hurwitz & Associates on the IT Analysis site:
Foundations offers file storage, advanced backup and recovery, connectivity and security, collaboration and email and application services in one integrated package. Some of the things that set it apart include:

   * Automated installation and configuration; it discovers and maps the network for you, and auto-configures firewall and VPN, so you can deploy it in 30 minutes or less.
   * Automatic data backups, and full system recovery if a disaster should occur.
   * Symphony office productivity tools are bundled with it, so you don't need to buy Microsoft Office software.
   * Under the covers, you get the reliability and cost benefits of Linux and open source technologies (Foundations is priced less than Microsoft SBS servers), but you don't have to know a thing about Linux or these technologies to run it.
   * It has the collaboration power of Lotus Notes and Domino, tailored for small businesses, with Notes clients for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

As important, IBM has factored in what's often the biggest hurdle to getting momentum for new product: inertia. Outlook users can continue to use Outlook with Domino Access for Microsoft Outlook. And, IBM added VMware virtualization to Foundations, so you can also run Windows applications on it. Customers don't have to give up things they already use—Outlook and Windows apps, such as Intuit QuickBooks. And, I almost forgot—you can also get a 30-day free trial, and it's black and yellow, like a bumble bee.

The small business technology market and the channel partners that serve them are at a turning point. Many businesses are tired of dealing with the cost and complexity of Microsoft products and licensing, and channel partners are deciding that they need another option for serving customers that don't want to deal with these hassles. This time, IBM is in the right place, at the right time, with the right solution, to give them a true alternative.
I'm certainly beginning to see a lot of interest from Microsoft customers looking for a valid alternative to increasing costs and difficult to manage solutions.  The tide is turning, and Foundations is doing a great job for SMEs... ]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/lotus-foundations-a-real-choice-for-small-businesses-and-partners http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-a-real-choice-for-small-businesses-and-partners?opendocument&comments Lotus Foundations Start 1.1 and Branch Office 1.1 released Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:53:31 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-start-1.1-and-branch-office-1.1-released foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-start-1.1-and-branch-office-1.1-released?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-start-1.1-and-branch-office-1.1-released IBM Lotus Foundations Start

This is the announcement I've been waiting for since Lotusphere, the new version of Lotus Foundations:
IBM Lotus Foundations Start 1.1 and IBM Lotus Foundations Branch Office 1.1 save time and costs for small businesses or remote branch offices with limited or no in-house technical resources

At a glance

IBM Lotus Foundations Start 1.1 and IBM Lotus Foundations Branch 1.1:

    * Provide core IT services needed to run any small business including setting up a security-rich network or connecting branch offices.
    * Help save time and costs by automating manual day-to-day IT management with unique self-managing and self-configuring server autonomics.
    * Provide the reliability and security you deserve with a small footprint Linux-based server, while being extremely easy to use.
    * Protect and store your electronic data with frequent, automated, highly reliable backups; eliminate the necessity to buy expensive third-party backup software.
    * Quickly execute a full system recovery in the event of a disaster.
    * Facilitate the creation and sharing of information, e-mail, and calendars using IBM Lotus Notes and Domino software.
    * Help save cost with IBM Lotus Symphony office productivity tools that enable you to work on spreadsheets, presentations, and documents without purchasing expensive office software and upgrades.

Overview

IBM Lotus Foundations Start 1.1 and IBM Lotus Foundations Branch Office 1.1 offer the essential software required to run a small business or remote branch office. Driving out cost and complexity, these products provide a unique combination of reliability, security, and simplicity.

Whether you need to set up a secure office network, connect branch offices, protect your data, or provide remote access, e-mail, and collaboration capabilities to your employees, Lotus Foundations Start and Lotus Foundations Branch Office have you covered.

With Lotus Foundations Start and Lotus Foundations Branch Office you can:

    * Run your business or remote branch office on the most reliable and secure server. With an extremely small server footprint and a Linux-based operating system, Lotus Foundations Start and Lotus Foundations Branch Office are ideal for the small business or remote branch office looking for ease of use and reliability.
    * Save time and costs in manual day-to-day IT management. The unique server autonomics built into this server removes IT complexity and automates functions including installation, configuration, security checks, and self-management of the overall system while adding simplicity and reliability to your IT infrastructure.
    * Easily share information and quickly respond to customers; share calendars, organize e-mail, and collaborate with IBM Lotus Notes and Domino collaboration software.
    * Reduce cost of ownership with Lotus Symphony office productivity tools and work on spreadsheets, presentations, and documents without purchasing any additional software.
    * Have the peace of mind that your data is reliably backed up and can be easily restored in the event of a disaster. Intelligent disk backup ensures your data is automatically backed up. The full system recovery capability ensures fast recovery in the event of a disaster.
    * Run Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Domino applications on the same server.
    * Use Lotus Foundations Branch Office to leverage the branch office Lotus Domino skills and data already available at the head office.
So why is this release so important?

1) With Lotus Foundations Start 1.1, you get the ability to run not only Linux applications on the in-built Foundations OS, but also any application that runs on Windows or other Linux distributions/appliances. Support for VMware Server 2.0 is provided in both Foundations Start 1.1 and Foundations Branch Office 1.1 so that you can protect your existing appliance investment with an experience that is superior to running applications on a native Windows machine. You benefit from the stability of a Linux-based system while enjoying the ability to support the wide array of Microsoft Windows-based applications. Running Microsoft Windows applications on a virtual machine represents a significant improvement over traditional Microsoft Windows based x86 platforms.  (I'm really looking forward to using Foundations Start as a base for Lotus Connections and Quickr deployments now we have this functionality...)

2) Lotus Foundations Start 1.1 supports distributed deployment of Lotus Foundations Start services in multiple locations - an improvement over the single-server model of 1.0. This means that Lotus Foundations Start deployments in two locations can be aware of each other and be able to share data and users between them. Lotus Domino is not a prerequisite for this offering.  Secondly, Lotus Foundations Branch Office supports deployment of Lotus Foundations Start as a branch office solution for organisations with existing Lotus Domino infrastructure at the head office. Administration of the Domino server within the branch office can be done following existing processes, and using existing Domino administration tools. So now Foundations can provide your organisation with an easy-to-manage and easy-to-deploy solution for remote offices.

These are excellent improvements to the Foundations product line.  If you haven't taken a closer look at Foundations so far, it's time to do so.

[Collaboration Matters is a Foundations business partner, so if you have any further questions, please do get in touch] ]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/lotus-foundations-start-1.1-and-branch-office-1.1-released http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-start-1.1-and-branch-office-1.1-released?opendocument&comments IBM Lotus Foundations Server announcement Tue, 2 Dec 2008 15:52:50 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/ibm-lotus-foundations-server-announcement foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/ibm-lotus-foundations-server-announcement?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/ibm-lotus-foundations-server-announcement
IBM Lotus Foundations Server features server-class quad-core Intel Xeon and Pentium Core 2 Duo processors for performance and stability

Features of the IBM Lotus Foundations Server include:

   * Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 2.53 GHz or Xeon X3330 2.66 GHz quad-core processors
   * Standard system memory consisting of 2 GB or 4 GB PC2-6400 CL6 ECC DDR2 800 MHz DIMMs; 8 GB1 maximum
   * Integrated Serial-ATA (SATA) controller
   * 5.25 inch removable backup drive kit with 500 GB or 1 TB simple swap SATA HDD (model dependent)
   * LCD monitor display
   * Flash drive for intelligent data backup and recovery
   * Five available I/O expansion slots
   * System management support
   * I/O ports:
         o Six USB (four rear, two front)
         o Three Ethernet ports:
               + Integrated Gigabit Ethernet with RJ-45
               + Dual-port Ethernet adapter
         o Two software-compatible serial ports
         o One parallel port supporting devices using SSP, EPP, or ECP protocols adhering to the IEEE 1284 standard
   * Integrated ATI graphics controller with 16 MB video memory and one rear portAvailable on December 5th, these new servers look to be a big step forward in scalability and performance from the older Nitix style systems.

Links to Announcement Letter in HTML and PDF.
]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/ibm-lotus-foundations-server-announcement http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/ibm-lotus-foundations-server-announcement?opendocument&comments New Foundations intro video posted Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:46:41 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/new-foundations-intro-video-posted foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/new-foundations-intro-video-posted?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/new-foundations-intro-video-posted
IBM Lotus Foundations

Go take a look! ]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/new-foundations-intro-video-posted http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/new-foundations-intro-video-posted?opendocument&comments Useful Lotus Foundations links Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:44:57 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/useful-links foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/useful-links?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/useful-links Thanks to Blair MacDonald of IBM for this info:
From the IBM Website:
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/lotus/products/foundations/start/

Lotus Foundations Site:
http://www.lotusfoundations.com/index.php

IBM formal press release:
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/24376.wss        

In the media as of this week:
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=864207
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0403321.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24951465/
]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/useful-links http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/useful-links?opendocument&comments Foundations website is up Wed, 4 Jun 2008 15:47:13 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/06042008033929PMDOMK7Q.htm foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/06042008033929PMDOMK7Q.htm?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/06042008033929PMDOMK7Q.htm http://www.lotusfoundations.com/

Shouldn't that be foundations.lotus.com? ]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/06042008033929PMDOMK7Q.htm http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/06042008033929PMDOMK7Q.htm?opendocument&comments Useful Foundations technote Wed, 4 Jun 2008 01:21:00 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/useful-foundations-technote foundations Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/useful-foundations-technote?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/useful-foundations-technote Gregg Eldred for these two nuggets:


Link: Limitations to Domino server within Lotus Foundations

1)
For those that are unaware with the Lotus Foundations product. Lotus Foundations is (emphasis, mine) . . .

A complete, out-of-the box solution designed to get businesses up and running quickly, Lotus Foundations Start maximizes business productivity with minimal IT hassle. It is an appliance server that a small business can launch within 30 minutes with self-managing features that minimize the need for human intervention .

To achieve these goals, Lotus Foundations Start is delivered in a predefined configuration set to support the needs of the small business.  Administration of a Lotus Foundations Start server is through the Lotus Foundations Webconfig interface.  The expectation is that the Domino Administrator Client will be used only in exceptional circumstances.
and 2)
I, for one, was very happy to see IBM announce Lotus Foundations at Lotusphere 2008. If you are curious about what you cannot do with the Domino Server that ships as a part of Lotus Foundations, this TechNote may be of some usefulness.

From the TechNote:

Users and Teams are synchronized between Lotus Foundations and Domino (Users and Groups)
If users or groups are defined in a Domino Administrative interface that do not exist as users or teams in the Lotus Foundations Start, those users or groups will be removed. Domino group membership must match the team membership in Lotus Foundations.


Constantly Changing Settings
The following settings in the Server document or server configuration document are periodically set in the Foundations Start server. Those settings in the server document are indicated by [s] and those in the server configuration document are marked with [c].

LDAP Setup  always disabled
SMTP Setup  synchronized to settings in Webconfig
POP3 Setup  s-ynchronized to settings in Webconfig
IMAP Setup  synchronized to settings in Webconfig
WebMail Setup  synchronized to settings in Webconfig
Home URL is set to NitixDWA.nsf (a DWA redirector)
Fully qualified Internet host name [s] = servers fully qualified domain name
Automatically Restart Server after Fault/Crash [s] - enabled
Transaction Logging is enabled with circular logging.
Set warnings and error notification for quotas to per message.
DenyAccess [s] = ensure it contains the "Disabled" group which maps to the disabled group for Foundations users
TCP/IP Port number 60080
TCP/IP port status Redirect to SSL
SSL Port number 4443
Home URL: /NitixDWA.nsf

Then there is this caveat: IBM Support reserves the right to limit the settings and configuration options of any Foundations component product or technology in the interest of ensuring the intended functionality in any Foundations Start deployment.
]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/useful-foundations-technote http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/useful-foundations-technote?opendocument&comments Lotus Foundations is gold... Fri, 30 May 2008 08:00:05 +0100 http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-is-gold... lotus Stuart McIntyre - Foundations http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-is-gold...?opendocument&comments http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-is-gold...
Foundations downloads


Image names are as follows:
Zip eAssembly
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 Quick Start Guide English C1H1EEN 0.5mb
IBM Lotus Foundations, v1.0 (contains the base server installation and configuration - .zip), Disk 1 of 4, English C1F9DEN 107mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start v1.0 (contains the Lotus Domino email and collaboration features - .zip), Disk 2 of 4, English C1F9EEN 554mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 ( Lotus Notes addon - contains the Lotus Notes email and collaboration features - .zip C1F9FEN 427mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 (Anti-spam addon - contains the anti-spam feature - .zip) Disk 4 of 4 English C1GL0EN 76mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 - Domino Access for Microsoft Outlook addon (contains the DAMO email feature - .zip) Disk 4 of 4 English C1GL2EN 40mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 (Printing addon - contains the print server feature - .zip) Disk 4 of 4, English C1GL4EN 119mb
ISO eAssembly
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 Quick Start Guide English C1H1EEN 0.5mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 (contains the Lotus Domino email and collaboration features - .iso) Disk 2 of 4, English C1GK7EN 562mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 (Lotus Notes addon - contains the Lotus Notes email and collaboration features - .iso) Disk 3 of 4, English C1GK8EN 432mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 (Anti-spam addon - contains the anti-spam feature - .iso) Disk 4 of 4, English C1GL1EN 84mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start , v1.0 (Domino Access for Microsoft Outlook addon - contains the DAMO email feature - .iso) Disk 4 of 4, English C1GL3EN 42mb
IBM Lotus Foundations Start, v1.0 (Printing addon - contains the print server feature - .iso) Disk 4 of 4, English C1GL5EN 148mb





Judging from the list above, they're still uploading the files.  I will update this list on a regular basis to make sure it is complete.  Looks like we are nearly there - just disk 1 of the ISO set to come...

What fun, ND8.5 beta, Symphony 1.0 and Foundations 1.0 all on the same day!  The wires may be hot once the Americans come onstream.  If you're in Europe or AP, get the downloads started while you can! ]]> http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dxcomments/lotus-foundations-is-gold... http://foundationsblog.com/blog/foundations.nsf/dx/lotus-foundations-is-gold...?opendocument&comments