Microsoft is beckoning Lotus customers by making it easier to switch to Microsoft technology. The new Microsoft Application Analyzer for Lotus Notes helps customers plan a migration and coexistence strategy for moving Lotus Notes applications to the Microsoft .NET Enterprise Server platform. In addition, Microsoft is endorsing CASAHL Technology's ecKnowledge 7.5 (http://www.casahl.com/ecKnowledge/default.asp) as the preferred solution for connecting Lotus Notes and Domino applications and migrating application data to the Microsoft platform.

Consisting of two components, the Data Collector and the Data Processor, the Application Analyzer is available to customers and Microsoft Certified Partners. Microsoft offers customers direct access to the Data Collector and easier access to a growing number of partners offering migration analysis services with the Data Processor.

Microsoft says nearly 50 Microsoft Certified Partners are already offering services to help customers use the tools to migrate their Lotus applications.

The combination of the Microsoft Application Analyzer and CASAHL ecKnowledge is designed to help customers connect Lotus and Microsoft environments and, ultimately, migrate the pertinent applications to the Microsoft platform, Microsoft says. The tools help customers migrating from Notes and Domino to the Microsoft platform determine whether any of their existing Notes applications no longer meet current business requirements or simply are not being used.

ecKnowledge, a migration and coexistence tool, replaces the Microsoft Application Connector for Lotus Notes. ecKnowledge replicates and synchronizes the contents of Notes applications with various Microsoft products, including Exchange Server, the Outlook messaging and collaboration client, and SQL Server, and lets customers access data from a variety of applications without having to undergo a complex integration project. In addition, it helps connect new Microsoft applications with other line-of-business applications such as enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and data warehousing, allowing the migrated Lotus Notes and Domino applications to continue to use mission-critical data from other enterprise systems.

The release of the new Microsoft Application Analyzer for Lotus Notes and the recommendation of CASAHL's ecKnowledge for data replication are part of a larger Microsoft push to migrate Lotus Notes applications and to retrain Lotus Notes developers on .NET-based development. Microsoft says it's been working with customers moving from Lotus Notes to develop other products to ease migration from Lotus Notes and Domino to the Microsoft .NET Enterprise Server platform.

According to IDC analysts, IBM Lotus Domino/Notes ranks first in the collaboration software market in terms of revenue and ability to gain new market share. Exchange/Outlook is number one in new users, total users, and market opportunity alignment.

Price and availability
Microsoft customers and industry partners can download the Data Collector at no cost from http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/techinfo/interop/notes.asp (connect-time fees may apply). The Data Processor is available to Microsoft Certified Partners via the MVP eStore for US$1 plus shipping and handling.

You can see a listing of Microsoft Certified Partners that have the new Application Analyzer at http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/partners/migration_l.asp. Partners can purchase ecKnowledge directly from CASAHL Technology.