News

IBM Lotus, Novell to offer Linux support on messaging platforms

July 31, 2003

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The second- and third-largest players in the e-mail industry, IBM Lotus and Novell, will support Linux across their messaging and collaboration platforms, including Internet kiosks.

Lotus plans to offer Linux support for its Web e-mail client, instant messaging solution and Domino Server on IBM's mainframe as part of its Notes 6.5 release this fall, according to a report in InternetWeek.

By supporting the open-source Mozilla browser, the Domino Web access client enables users to access their e-mail, calendaring and scheduling, replication and business applications from any Internet kiosk or PC.

As part of its Notes/Domino 6.5 release, Lotus will also offer a version of the Domino e-mail server for Linux on IBM's zSeries mainframe, the report said.

Lotus also said Wednesday that it has extended its instant messaging and Web conferencing platform, as well as the mobile EveryPlace client, to support Linux and Unix.

Novell plans to release its GroupWise Linux client in late 2003 or early 2004. Novell will move all of its key services including file, print, messaging and directory services to Linux. Novell's Nterprise Services For Linux 1.0 is currently in beta, the report said.