Sharepoint is the next generation of Lotus Notes
I got an email from a sales rep at a company called HexaCorp in Somerset, NJ. In my role I get emails from vendors trying to get my company’s business all the time. Most of the time I delete them and move on. Once in awhile I’ll respond and let them know that either we don’t need their services, or we don’t use the software they are shilling.
So this exec, let’s call her Marilyn (because that’s her name) left me a voicemail and sent me a message stating that they were a Sharepoint partner and if we were planning any Sharepoint implementations or upgrades, that they would like to help. Instead of just deleting it, I responded so she knew she was barking up the wrong tree.
Thanks for reaching out, but we don’t use Sharepoint and have no plans to. We are an IBM Lotus partner, and will continue down that path, thanks.
So I figured that was that. Until I got an email just now, this was the first line:
I discussed your email with my CEO and he told me that Sharepoint is the next generation of Lotus Notes.
Yeah… okay then. First, you had to discuss with your CEO? And THAT is what he came up with? As you can imagine, my next email wasn’t as pleasant.
Remove me from your list.
That comment shows your ignorance of an entire software industry.
Sometimes the lack of knowledge people have about the industry simply astounds me. There are a lot of things Notes related I can bitch about, but Sharepoint is definitely not the next generation of Lotus Notes.
So Marilyn from HexaCorp in Somerset, NJ, and your willfully ignorant CEO. You may want to do some homework.
October 5, 2012 @ 4:28 pm
Why is that comments so wrong? I can see that you would prefer Lotus Notes (so do I), though I don’t think it is that ignorant a statement. Take a look at both bases market share. Core Features. Etc.
October 6, 2012 @ 2:00 am
@Carl. I have to disagree. I think you’re mixing up marketing spin from technical capability. Sure Sharepoint has gained some traction, (for now), but it’s definitely a very limited product. The only comparison I would make is that Sharepoint is only as much of replacement for Lotus Notes if you just compared the discussion database and document repository template.. and that’s it. Hardly a replacement. Yes “Marilyn’s” CEO is either ignorant or assuming the prospect is ignorant.
June 20, 2013 @ 3:44 am
@Carl. I agree with you and Marilyn. SharePoint is THE new and better Notes. One has to remove their Notes developer hat to accept this fact.
October 5, 2012 @ 5:13 pm
You’re really asking that question? Well for one, you can’t have a next generation of something that comes from a competitor. It’s technical semantics. The next generation of Notes has this or the next generation of Sharepoint has that. Neither one is the next nor previous generation of each other.
This also had the undercurrent of Sharepoint is replacing Notes and is the evolution of the product. In some companies it may be true that Sharepoint has replaced parts of Notes. But do you think that happens at an IBM Lotus partner? As a salesperson, do you think you are still getting your foot in the door with that statement? it’s kind of an equivalent of “Notes, oh that old thing, I’ve got the new generation of that.” which I don’t find endearing.
Also, if she had to ask her CEO about Lotus, it means she IS ignorant of the industry. She doesn’t know that Notes is a direct competitor? She had to ask someone else, and then that person (a CEO nonetheless) blew it off as Sharepoint is the next generation?
I’m sorry, but that’s pretty ludicrous no matter how you slice it.
June 20, 2013 @ 3:13 am
Of Course, SharePoint has several features that are similar to lotus notes. some templates like discussion forum, team sites, Unique document ids, development of workflows etc., SharePoint is of course lotus notes of the 21st century. they are competitors, if they do not have any similarities, why are many fortune 100 companies whoever were using lotus notes are migrating to SharePoint.
I do not see anything wrong in Marilyn’s statement. Being in a technical management team, she probably would have assumed some basic technical knowledge from the prospect. I feel bad for Marilyn…
To me, she is 100% correct in what she said, but to a wrong person who does not understand technology and it too much to expect him to have knowledge in SharePoint.
June 20, 2013 @ 3:15 am
let me add HexaCorp’s link as they definitely deserve some traffic
http://www.hexacorp.com
October 5, 2012 @ 5:36 pm
Testify, John!
October 5, 2012 @ 6:26 pm
Hey Nathan, I deleted your link to HexaCorp’s main site and list of executives. I simply wanted to remove it so we don’t send ANY traffic their way as quite frankly, they don’t deserve it.
October 6, 2012 @ 4:20 am
Actually Marilyn is SPOT ON. Take off your developer hat for a moment…. and follow my argument. Envision a software that:
– allows people to share information with a defined group
– once the base is installed doesn’t require IT services to start a new place
– can be customized without an IT guy (to some extend)
– helps to deal with documents
– is based on a flat file data model (the part visible to the user)
– integrates into tasks, calendar and to some extend eMail
–> the main point: NO IT INTERVENTION
This description fits for Notes R4 (before we took the Designer out) and it fits to Sharepoint.
Microsoft very clearly saw the need to give users tools that allow them to keep IT on arms length – as Notes did (once upon the time).
So from a business perspective “Sharepoint is the new Notes”.
Now the point where we disagree with Microsoft: is it the *better* Notes. You and I would agree: NO it isn’t (short of the “keep-the-IT-at-armslength” feature that was removed from Notes).
October 8, 2012 @ 2:33 am
well, i have come to many of the same conclusions after taking a sharepoint power user class, but it may only be better in one respect – you can build web apps as an end user, something Lotus end users cant do very well, especailly not XPages
October 8, 2012 @ 4:27 am
This: http://www.openntf.org/internal/home.nsf/project.xsp?action=openDocument&name=XPages%20Bazaar might be the beginning to change that. Need to wrap that into an application with a nice D&D UI
October 7, 2012 @ 2:32 am
Well to me the difference is, the next generation of something is supposed to be better than the previous generation. So while I agree that Sharepoint is indeed like the Notes of old, stating that it’s next generation is dubious at best. And Ms. Marilyn should know Sharepoint’s competition in the Marketplace. And if she knew that Notes was that competition, she wouldn’t have had to ask her CEO.
I’m just sick and tired of the dismissals of Notes as a platform from anyone using Sharepoint or Salesforce or any other tool, especially if they don’t have any real experience with it.
June 20, 2013 @ 3:23 am
May be she used a statement saying “it is the next generation of Lotus notes” but SP is lotus notes of 21st century for a better statement. as I mentioned, why would lot of companies to migrate their lotus notes environment to SharePoint if they are not similar.
lotus notes is a collaboration platform and used for developing workflow solutions as well. SharePoint is also used for similar stuff.
I have worked on lotus notes platform for more than 15 years and now working in SP and I see lot of similarities.
moreover, several of lotus notes experts did get involved in development of SP product.
I think it is better to accept the fact than being emotional.. I have been seeing in several places where lotus notes is being replaced by other tools and SharePoint being the main competitor and suitable replacement technology
I totally disagree your thoughts. are you sure you know what SharePoint is in the first place……
June 20, 2013 @ 3:41 am
SharePoint has replaced several lotus notes environments in many fortune 100 companies.. so the Marilyn’s and her CEO’s statement is true.
August 9, 2013 @ 4:00 pm
I am rolling around on the floor at the people justifying the HexaCorp line. “Marilyn’s and her CEO’s statement is true” and “SharePoint has several features that are similar to lotus notes” and “I do not see anything wrong in Marilyn’s statement.”…..
Wow.
I used, administered and coded in Notes for 18 years and now have to use SP in my workplace as a tool. Yesterday – true story – I was told by the Helpdesk that the SP Group they created to grant access to a shared list cannot be edited by me despite me having Admin rights. It’s taken them a week and they can’t fix it. Similarly I can ask for a SP shared work area with some simple event triggers and it takes _days_ to build it. Finally, a company I know that is ‘ripping out Notes to replace the apps with SharePoint’ (heard that before?) is nearly ready to release it’s first SP app. That’s three years after starting and GBP 250 spent.
People, Lotus Notes is NOTHING LIKE SharePoint. Really, if you think it is, I question the depth of your expertise. The fact that Notes is being ripped so fast and SP is spreading like a does of flu astounds me. Logically I cannot explain it. I know Notes/Domino intimately and now I have to use SP as an end user I am mystified. Even now after 2 years away from it I could build a Notes db with ten times the functionality of a SP app in a fraction of the time, and I’m just an average guy.
The author understands Notes. Those of you that agree with HexaCorp simply don’t.
August 9, 2013 @ 4:02 pm
Sorry, I meant “GBP 250,000” spent. But you knew that.