IBM System i & Lotus Domino – iNotes Access for Microsoft Outlook

Many Microsoft Exchange customers find themselves at a crossroads today, choosing the direction their organization will take for messaging and collaboration in the future. They find that upgrading to Exchange 2000 is much more than merely a release update of application software. The project often involves significant operating system changes and hardware upgrades as well. In addition, Meta Group recently reported that many enterprises plan a 40% to 60% reduction in the number of Microsoft Exchange servers -- server consolidation on top of a significant upgrade. For organizations faced with such major effort and expense, the time seems right to examine their entire messaging environment.

IBM® and Lotus® offer a solution that lets organizations consolidate server farms and reduce cost of ownership without abandoning current investments. With the new iNotes feature of Domino, Microsoft Outlook users can now access a Domino server for mail, calendar and task data instead of Exchange, without changing user interfaces.

The Benefits of Server Consolidation with Domino and IBM System i

• Reduced costs through server consolidation - In general, it’s easier and less expensive to manage one large server than multiple smaller ones. Surveys show that the average number of users per Exchange Server is 100 to 600. IBM iSeries has demonstrated tremendous scalability as a Domino server, providing growth of more than 50 times with the same operating system.
  
  
• Enhanced user productivity - IBM System i and its AS/400® predecessors have a well-deserved reputation for reliability. Reliability is more than hardware that keeps running. It's an operating system that is designed to run continually, to handle problems without requiring you to restart the entire system. From the perspective of the end-user, this means applications that are consistently available when the user needs them. In addition, consolidating with a Domino for the IBM System i server preserves the end-user experience while opening the door to new capabilities.
  
  
• Simplified growth - In a typical Microsoft Exchange environment, adding a large group of users or a new application probably means adding one or more new servers – physical servers. With Domino for IBM System i, you might need to configure a new partitioned Domino server to handle the new work, which an administrator can accomplish in a few minutes. Rarely will you need to add another physical server. From a business perspective, Domino for the IBM System i, with its scalability and seamless growth, makes it easier to expand your business without worrying about whether your infrastructure can handle it.
  
  
• Ease of administration - IBM System i servers have a “built for business” design. The capabilities an administrator needs are integrated and consistent, which means less money spent on people managing servers and more time available to deliver real value to the business.
  
  
• Integration - Because Lotus Domino runs on a variety of platforms, you can standardize your user interface (e.g. Microsoft Outlook) and your messaging infrastructure (Lotus Domino) without requiring migration to a single operating system environment.