LotusLive Adds to Security, Mobile Access, and Cloud Features

June 14, 2011 Dan Burger

IBM‘s LotusLive Notes–the email, calendaring, and contact management offering available via a Web browser or a Lotus Notes client in the LotusLive cloud–just added a few new fancy duds to its already extensive business wardrobe. IBM, which is fond of describing Notes as “enterprise ready” and making the implication that its rival, Microsoft Exchange, is something less, continues to put the spotlight on integrated applications designed to simplify and improve everyday business activities.

However, with this latest release, LotusLive Notes 1.4, the enhancements come in the categories of user conveniences, which include not only end users but also the system administrators. At the top of the list is a broadening of routing options for Internet-based mail messages, which includes Internet media and access from mobile devices. The list of mobile devices available consists of Apple (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch); Blackberry; Android (G2 and G3 language support is new here), Nokia, and Windows Mobile.

IBM Traveler (the mobile collaboration feature) for LotusLive Notes is an add-on subscription service.

Of a security-related nature there’s an increased emphasis on data protection with this cloud-based offering. For those who are tuned in to recovery time objectives and recovery point objectives–top concerns when considering disaster recovery plans–IBM Lotus is claiming 12 hour RTO and eight hour RPO.

From its inception, LotusLive has featured SSL encryption, secure password recovery, and built-in spam and virus protection for e-mail as part of its security efforts.

For those taking a closer look at the business application part of the equation, LotusLive Notes and LotusLive Notes Web now comes coupled with a Domino Utility Server for LotusLive license that offers a convenient path for moving Domino applications into a cloud model whether that’s the IBM cloud or cloud models hosted by business partners or the folks at Amazon. This feature includes access to both LotusLive Notes and Domino applications via a Web browser or a Notes client.