IBM has updated its instant messaging product, Lotus Sametime Standard 8, and introduced a new flavor of it, called Lotus Sametime Entry. According to IBM, Lotus Sametime Entry is targeted for organizations that want an alternative to public instant messaging services or costly proprietary offerings. It features encrypted and authenticated instant messaging, is easy to install, and costs less than full IM alternatives. Sametime Entry supports multiple server and client operating systems and does not lock an organization into a single proprietary operating system or directory, nor does it typically require desktop or server upgrades.
Lotus Sametime Entry software includes instant messaging capabilities, multi-person chat, presence awareness, spell check, rich text capabilities, emoticon suppor,t and contact list management features. Chat history capabilities are available, so users can keep a record of their discussions. The software is designed to integrate with applications such as Microsoft Office or e-mail through Microsoft Outlook. With this integration, organizations can add presence awareness to e-mail inboxes and applications so users can see who is available to collaborate and start a chat regardless of what they're working on. Users can customize their status or use default options such as away, in a meeting, or do not disturb.
"For years, IBM Lotus Notes users have benefited from the core IM capabilities we are now making available to businesses with the Lotus Sametime Entry offering," said Bruce Morse, IBM Lotus vice president of unified communications and collaboration. "We believe the ease of use, feature set and cost effectiveness of Lotus Sametime Entry will make it attractive for small to medium-sized businesses as well as organizations that use email programs from other vendors."
For businesses looking for full unified communication and collaboration capabilities, IBM offers Lotus Sametime Standard software. The Lotus Sametime Standard offering delivers "out-of-the box" presence awareness, instant messaging, VoIP, Web and video conferencing capabilities, mobile client support, interoperability with public IM networks and a model for custom application plugins.
New features in Lotus Sametime Standard 8 include:
- Expanded platform support for IBM Lotus Domino 8 server and server support for VMWare environments.
- Extended mobile suppor,t including Nokia E-series, Sony Ericsson, and Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 devices.
- Point-to-point video capabilities for Macintosh users.
- Integration with Microsoft Office 2007.
Click here for more information on Lotus Sametime.