We've been asked many times over the last several months why we don't talk about our competition in the Exchange blog, and I wanted to take an opportunity to explain why. The purpose of this blog...
Updated Jul 01, 2019
Version 2.0
Blog Post
Now this sounds nothing short of self-serving to me. Every system has its quirks and problems and the MS/Exchange environment has more than the fair share. And it is an e-mail tool. Nothing more. Nothing less.
For example, from my posting
"Microsoft, FUD, and Vaporware: Are They The Only Bad Guy Here?"
http://www.controlscaddy.com/A55A69/bccaddyblog.nsf/plinks/CBYE-648UYZ
"I have a former client from my days at Lotus that is up in North Carolina. They were looking for an experienced Notes Developer to come in and manage two applications we had built for them. One was a Benefits Enrollment System that is way to complicated in its architecture to explain here, and the other was a web-based time entry system that was used by over 1,300 units in North America (and I venture to say that many of you have been inside one or more of these units, as have many Microsofties. However, this shop was being migrated to .Net as they followed a Microsoft DNA and had already switched to Outlook for mail (based on direction from the corporate level). But guess what? They walked away from .Net because they could not get it to do what they needed and they decided to go with WebSphere. As much as higher management wanted .Net, the "only applications that worked worth a hoot and did what they were supposed to do" (saving the corporation millions of dollars a year) were the two applications that we at Lotus Professional Services (Now IBM Software Services for Lotus) built for them. I don't seem to see that anywhere in the Microsoft "Press", but then again I do not see that story coming out of IBM either.
So what do we do about it? Are we at fault for not speaking out more forcefully to right the errors that are published by companies such as Microsoft? Do we become blinded by our loyalty to one product or another that we only see the negatives? Do we as software professionals have ethical obligations in making our decisions and recommendations as well? You bet we do,"
I read Scoble's blog as well as other Microsoft related blogs. If something stinks, no matter who the vendor, I call them out on my blog.
If you really are going to get good feedback and truly learn the advantages/limitations of your systems, then there is no reason *NOT* to discuss other products.
If a company needs nothing more than email, then I might recommend Exchange. If they want to go beyond that into true collaborative applications that truly integrated (without a bunch of expensive add-ons), ARE BACKWARD COMPATIBLE AND DO NOT REQUIRE RIP AND REPLACE EVERY TIME THERE IS AN UPGRADE, are scalable and stable, there is no way I would point them to MS/Exchange/.Net. I might not point them to IBM Software either, but defintely not MS.
There is a link above pointing to the Compare web page, which includes the Meta Group Study entitled "Domino Storage: What Can Be Done?".
If you read this document, from a non-trusted "Analyst Group for Hire" (and I criticize any report issued by a group like this without full disclosure of who paid for it, no matter what side it favors), you will find one line that shows exactly why Domino is a superior platform for searching, archiving and backup recovery:
"Corporate lawyers often react in horror when
apprised of the amount of stored e-mail due to concerns over “smoking gun” messages that may be exposed in a court-ordered discovery process."
Heaven forbid that an e-mail tool actually aid compliance with regulatory agencies and court orders! A company like Microsoft or Peoplesoft might actually be held accountable for their actions. It is called sound corporate governance.
"Organizations must proactively address Domino storage issues or face a persistent demand for
additional storage space. Unlimited e-mail storage threatens SLA adherence, generates additional storage expenditures, and creates legal vulnerabilities."
This applies to any and all vendors and don't kid yourselves or others in thinking that it does. Remeber that in an exchange environment, it only takes a problem with one user to bring the entire mail system to its knees. In Domino, only that one user is impacted.
So my challenge is to not be myopic. If you really think your products are better, compare them in writing. Accept the invitation from "Inbox East" to debate the merits of the platform in public. Don't be afraid to air your dirty laundry, you might find it is more helpful.
For example, from my posting
"Microsoft, FUD, and Vaporware: Are They The Only Bad Guy Here?"
http://www.controlscaddy.com/A55A69/bccaddyblog.nsf/plinks/CBYE-648UYZ
"I have a former client from my days at Lotus that is up in North Carolina. They were looking for an experienced Notes Developer to come in and manage two applications we had built for them. One was a Benefits Enrollment System that is way to complicated in its architecture to explain here, and the other was a web-based time entry system that was used by over 1,300 units in North America (and I venture to say that many of you have been inside one or more of these units, as have many Microsofties. However, this shop was being migrated to .Net as they followed a Microsoft DNA and had already switched to Outlook for mail (based on direction from the corporate level). But guess what? They walked away from .Net because they could not get it to do what they needed and they decided to go with WebSphere. As much as higher management wanted .Net, the "only applications that worked worth a hoot and did what they were supposed to do" (saving the corporation millions of dollars a year) were the two applications that we at Lotus Professional Services (Now IBM Software Services for Lotus) built for them. I don't seem to see that anywhere in the Microsoft "Press", but then again I do not see that story coming out of IBM either.
So what do we do about it? Are we at fault for not speaking out more forcefully to right the errors that are published by companies such as Microsoft? Do we become blinded by our loyalty to one product or another that we only see the negatives? Do we as software professionals have ethical obligations in making our decisions and recommendations as well? You bet we do,"
I read Scoble's blog as well as other Microsoft related blogs. If something stinks, no matter who the vendor, I call them out on my blog.
If you really are going to get good feedback and truly learn the advantages/limitations of your systems, then there is no reason *NOT* to discuss other products.
If a company needs nothing more than email, then I might recommend Exchange. If they want to go beyond that into true collaborative applications that truly integrated (without a bunch of expensive add-ons), ARE BACKWARD COMPATIBLE AND DO NOT REQUIRE RIP AND REPLACE EVERY TIME THERE IS AN UPGRADE, are scalable and stable, there is no way I would point them to MS/Exchange/.Net. I might not point them to IBM Software either, but defintely not MS.
There is a link above pointing to the Compare web page, which includes the Meta Group Study entitled "Domino Storage: What Can Be Done?".
If you read this document, from a non-trusted "Analyst Group for Hire" (and I criticize any report issued by a group like this without full disclosure of who paid for it, no matter what side it favors), you will find one line that shows exactly why Domino is a superior platform for searching, archiving and backup recovery:
"Corporate lawyers often react in horror when
apprised of the amount of stored e-mail due to concerns over “smoking gun” messages that may be exposed in a court-ordered discovery process."
Heaven forbid that an e-mail tool actually aid compliance with regulatory agencies and court orders! A company like Microsoft or Peoplesoft might actually be held accountable for their actions. It is called sound corporate governance.
"Organizations must proactively address Domino storage issues or face a persistent demand for
additional storage space. Unlimited e-mail storage threatens SLA adherence, generates additional storage expenditures, and creates legal vulnerabilities."
This applies to any and all vendors and don't kid yourselves or others in thinking that it does. Remeber that in an exchange environment, it only takes a problem with one user to bring the entire mail system to its knees. In Domino, only that one user is impacted.
So my challenge is to not be myopic. If you really think your products are better, compare them in writing. Accept the invitation from "Inbox East" to debate the merits of the platform in public. Don't be afraid to air your dirty laundry, you might find it is more helpful.