IBM says Lotus gains in global collaboration against Microsoft

IBM said yesterday that in the first half of 2009, it "logged thousands of new customers," bringing the total to 15,421 companies that have chosen IBM over Microsoft since 2008 in the $3.1-billion dollar worldwide integrated collaborative environment market, citing an August 2009 report by technology research firm, IDC.

In a statement, IBM said, "In addition, many customers have expanded their investments in IBM Lotus software. Among the new or expanding customer base are BASF, Chrysler, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Continental AG, Finishline, General Motors, GlaxoSmithKline, Gruppo Amadori, KBC Bank, Nationwide, Novartis, Phillips Electronics and PNC Bank."

It said that the momentum in collaboration software was being driven by the success of Lotus Notes and Domino against Microsoft Exchange; Lotus Connections and Quickr against Microsoft Sharepoint; and the millions of businesses and individuals that are using Lotus Symphony.

"Lotus Notes 8.5 is not just a standard email client. It is truly an amazing piece of software," said Tim Lorge of the New Jersey department of health and senior services. "It helps facilitate a much more integrated work environment and allows our teams to share information wherever they are. During our recent response to Novel H1N1 Influenza, we found having all of our collaboration tools integrated into one application enables our teams to work more effectively and cohesively. Lotus Notes 8.5 helps us work together in real time, enabling our employees to connect quicker and solve problems more effectively."

Many CIOs from across the private and public sectors cite a variety of reasons for either choosing IBM Lotus software over Microsoft or purchasing additional Lotus software licenses, including lower cost, more innovative design, Web 2.0 roadmap, growing preference for open standards, and the ability to easily plug-in additional applications.

IBM also said the option to enrich Lotus software with third-party applications or widgets helps explain why the number of IBM business partners packaging Lotus Notes and Domino software with their own products has more than doubled since the beginning of 2009.