Domino Web Access (formerly iNotes) is included in Domino 6.5. Web Access lets company road warriors use their e-mail, calendar, contacts and to-do list from any Web browser over an encrypted connection. One of the requirements, however, is a separate Internet password that must be defined in the Domino directory. Typically, this task is taken care of when the user account is set up.
The new version of Web Access fixes a few kinks from prior versions of iNotes. Most notably, you can drag and drop mail from one folder into another. Users can customize options, including those for mail-file delegation, meeting invitation autoprocessing and Notes password changes, that previously could only be edited from the full client software. And Web Access now supports the Mozilla browser, opening the way for Linux clients to connect remotely.
A new Smart Upgrade feature aims to make the installation of new versions painless, or at least less of a nuisance. Client computers are notified when a new version of the client is available. Users can perform a completely automated upgrade or defer it. Neither Exchange nor GroupWise have this feature.
IBM Lotus Domino 6.5. Lotus Software, IBM Software Group, (800) GO-LOTUS, (617) 577-8500. www.lotus.com
Microsoft seems to have changed its strategy for collaboration with the October debut of Exchange 2003. The focus is now on the Office suite. Exchange is designed to be an integral part of the so-called "whole office experience." As a result, some features that were available in the previous version of Exchange are now in other products or have been spun off into separate ones. For example, Exchange no longer includes an IM server. To use Microsoft's IM you must purchase the Office Live Communications Server software package and make a SQL server available if you want to archive text--all of which would add significant costs to a rollout that must include IM.
Before you set up Exchange Server 2003, you'll have to do some prep work. Exchange 2003 must run on Windows 2000 Server SP3 or Windows Server 2003. Active Directory must be installed, and the Active Directory schema is extended as part of the installation. Once all the prerequisites are met, the installation is straightforward. User-level administration is performed using the Active Directory management snap-in based on each client's user object. Server administration is accomplished using the Exchange System Manager snap-in, which defines the storage group for mail and which transport protocols are available. It's inconvenient to bounce back and forth between the two screens, but it does make sense in a "Microsoftish" sort of way.
