Is Lotus Notes diff. From Outlook?

**ZENYO** · July 10th, 2002, 03:57 PM

Is Lotus Notes any different from Outlook?

from - http://www.lotus.com/products/r5web....&cwesite=notes

Key Features and Benefits

Much more than mail. Notes integrates your most important information sources -- e-mail, calendar, address book, to do list, the Web and e-business applications -- and lets you seamlessly access them on-line or off-line.

Instant e-business. The customizable Welcome Page presents the at-a-glance info you need including today's appointments, action items, key URLs and new e-mails.

Keeps it together. Notes offers a single, integrated in-box for Notes mail and Internet mail, from Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

New-instant messaging! Now with Lotus Sametime integration, Notes lets you see who's on-line, send them instant messages and even chat in real-time to get answers fast.

it seems that Outlook does all the same stuff except maybe instant messaging which we probably won't use here in the office anyway.

Anyone Use Notes? Is there any reason to purchase it when you already have a program with the same functions?

**korgul** · July 10th, 2002, 04:04 PM

One word

viruses

Lotus Notes does not propogate viruses like outlook.

We use Notes here at work and it is difficult to get used to. I think that is is much better than Outlook because you can build databases with it that can do pretty much anything. We have one that when a user submits a Leave request form it gets sent to their supervisor. Once the supervisor approves/disapproves the request it gets sent to the next person on the chain, plus an E-mail is sent to the originator that the mail has moved forward to the next person.

We are also able to access our inhouse E-mail from the internet, which means from anywhere in the world.

Very good program in my opinion.

korgul

**DVNT1** · July 10th, 2002, 04:06 PM

I support a few Lotus Notes users but I don't use it myself. I think one of the key differences is the application part of notes. I believe you can create applications and "databases" within Lotus Notes Domino server.

To be a little more specific, Lotus Notes comes in different capabilities. I wouldn't do justice trying to explain it but going to their site and looking at various options may help you understand.

**ZENYO** · July 10th, 2002, 04:11 PM

Thanks Korgul.

Do you have your own mail servers? Are you running the server edition?

Fortunately through our service provider we already have the ability to check our emails from any browser.

**Theophylact** · July 10th, 2002, 04:19 PM

We use Lotus Notes at work. It's much more than an e-mail system; they call it "groupware." It creates and maintains forms, databases, other people's schedules for arranging meetings -- all kinds of stuff. But it's overkill for one person or a small group.

**ZENYO** · July 10th, 2002, 04:25 PM

Well, If we decide to go that route, it will used for (at minimum) 30 people. The problem is, Untill we get a budget for re-building the network, the network is still MickyMouse. Our main server is running our ACCPAC application and it's a resource hog. I really don't want to install another server application and cause more traphic. So, with all servers set aside, is this prgram still worth it as a stand alone workstation application?

Thanks a lot for your help by the way. I have no experience with Lotus.

Al

**muno** · July 10th, 2002, 04:33 PM

Yep, my office uses Lotus Notes too (corporation of ~12000 employees).
I don't think information distribution would be easier with anything else. The database thing is most excellent.
Overkill if your company has a single location with few people, but we have offices here and there and even herethere.

Recently we migrated from r4.6 to r5. I don't think that was a smart move

r5 utilizes at least 3 times more resources than the previous. But then again, I'm not domino administrator.

As a stand alone program it's not worth it. As thephlycat mentioned, it's groupware and has no real use as standalone mail client.
-M

**Detritus** · July 10th, 2002, 04:58 PM

We currently use Lotus Notes R5 in the office I work in and it is an excellent program for a corporation of this type (6000+ in US and 3000 international employees) but... in a small office it would be wayyyyyy overkill. It is a little difficult to get use to and in my opinion isn't overly logical (drop down menus constantly change depending on which portion of the program you are in, can't access all features all the time, etc.) but it's database abilities and it's virus avoidance abilities mentioned above make it a big plus.

**DVNT1** · July 10th, 2002, 06:42 PM

Another solution might be Novell's GroupWise. It does everything Exchange does (many things are better too), but without the virus and security exploits.

It will not do database type stuff like Lotus Notes can but it is generally cheaper and less of an Administrative burden that Lotus Notes is (so I've read anyway).

I installed GroupWise over Exchange and Notes for those very same reasons.

**Theophylact** · July 10th, 2002, 07:11 PM

We used to use Groupwise. It was a lot more transparent than Notes, but the Agency junked it, over the protests of the users, partly because Notes did databases, and partly (mostly!) because of office politics beyond the ken of mere professionals to understand; you have to live high up in the adminisphere.

**ZENYO** · July 11th, 2002, 11:42 AM

Thanks a lot for the heads up.

I really appreciate it!

**korgul** · July 11th, 2002, 05:55 PM

Sorry to leave ya hanging zenyo.

I have to agree Lotus is a great progam if you have the users for it. If it is just for a couple then ....

We use it at work and have about 90 users in one building, 15 in another about 30 min away, another 15 about 3 1/2 hrs away. we are currently in the process of bringing them all into the fold.

korgul

**edwelly** · July 11th, 2002, 06:07 PM

Our network (15k+ users) is in the process of migrating from Lotus Notes to Outlook. IMO, Outlook is NOTHING compared to Lotus Notes BUT Outlook is much easier to support - Outlook is works much easier with W2k and for email service, it's hard to beat. But there is so much more you can do within Lotus Notes. I hate to see LN go bye bye at our place but it does make it a little easier for email here...
---edwelly

**ZENYO** · July 12th, 2002, 11:05 AM

Well, we are a small Candaian companye eh! **noo doooubt abouut it

**

But, as I have been reading, it doesn't matter if you are a company of 100 or 100k, everyone has a problem with the MKT department and the lack of communication. Being in the "Fine Health foods" or vitamin industry it is very important to have an open line of communication and good scheduling. We lack that and the new managment wants to fix that. At first, they were looking at M$ Project, but that's crazy expensive! Now they are loking at LN but I have already told them that it was useless unless we run the server, and we're not prepared for that yet. Anyway... You guys sure didn't leave me hanging, you made my decision a lot easier. It's just not the right soution for now.

Thanks

Have a great friday!

**storm2k** · July 13th, 2002, 01:24 AM

outlooks kicks the pants outta notes in most things...

case in point... i work with people from ibm... who are supposed to always encourage notes use... and every one of them wishes they could instead run outlook... that says something!