IBM, Microsoft Collide on Collaboration
By Dennis Callaghan
February 4, 2005
IBM's and Microsoft's collaboration software strategies are headed for a collision this spring when they pit, respectively, all-in-one products against integrated, a la carte offerings.
Microsoft Corp., in the first half of the year, plans to ship its LCS (Live Communications Server) 2005 for instant messaging and Web conferencing; its Live Communications Client, code-named Istanbul; and an updated version of its Live Meeting hosted Web conferencing service.
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At about the same time, IBM's Lotus Software division plans to ship Lotus Workplace Collaboration Services 2.5, which offers e-mail, calendaring, IM, team collaboration, electronic learning, Web conferencing, and document and Web content management in a single product.
New per-CPU licensing is designed to make it more affordable for customers to extend Workplace tools to users, said officials at Lotus, in Cambridge, Mass.
The upcoming battle highlights key differences between the strategies. While IBM delivers e-mail and collaboration in a single product, Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash., offers e-mail through a separate product, Exchange, part of the Windows Server Group.
Microsoft's e-mail and calendaring client, Outlook, as well as the work of its Real-Time Collaboration Group, which oversees LCS and Live Meeting, and SharePoint-branded products are all part of the Microsoft Office group.
Analysts say the battle could determine which vendor leads the markets for messaging, which Microsoft has traditionally led, and collaboration, which IBM has dominated. Market share numbers for last year won't be available until the spring.
Both companies are touting innovations in the products. Microsoft is pushing federated IM in LCS 2005, which allows interoperability with the major IM networks, plus a client supporting integrated IM, voice, video and Web conferencing.
