Lotus Foundations vs.The World

In speaking with a few people(shielding them) and reading some blogs lately(again protect the innocent) I see more interest in Lotus Foundations. Excellent news, especially for my portable server but what is the interest?

Some see it as an SMB toehold against Microsoft.
Others see it as a chance for Linux(in the Nitix form) to reach new areas of business.
Still more see it as another way to layer services or software on a solution.
I originally saw it as a DRP/BC (Disaster Recovery Plan/Business Continuity) appliance and still do given I am in a Hurricane zone.
We also see it as a home server setup for professionals(non-IT).
IBM probably thinks of it for some branch site, a la the way Nitix positioned itself previously. Except that was for Exchange because you NEVER want to go over a WAN to an Exchange server, so it was the right idea.

However, Lotus Domino has always been excellent over the WAN and thus it does not find itself in the same MUST need class.

While I certainly can see the possibility, the problem for me, and possibly for you, is putting Foundations in a Branch office will not help connect it to your existing Domino infrastructure today. Future changes in software may allow it, unknown.
Thus you would need to have an entire infrastructure of Foundations Servers and I am not sure that will work for everyone.

The world works in funny ways and my clients, yours or IBM's all see it differently. This is one reason why Business Partners exist, we go to market where IBM can't, and why we need IBM, to help seed the market and promote the opportunity and product lines. Maybe in South Florida or Brazil or New Zealand or Manchester some one does need Foundations and it works for them and that's what it's all about. It's not about selling IBM hardware, it's about software, services and connecting with new/young business, in my mind.

I also see Foundations as a consumer play, IBM doesn't or maybe is still not ready to jump back on that band wagon so quickly. Why doesn't IBM offer it through Office Depot or Walmart for instance? Aren't the people you want to find just setting up their offices? Interesting enough this is one possible plan of distribution for the Mycubus line of designer computers.

I understand in Africa there is a store which caters to entrepreneurs and startups and Foundations sells well there. I think my solar server would sell better possibly, but I digress. It's an interesting idea. As I myself expand offices I am finding so little out there to help people looking to setup/kit out an office from furniture to electric to computers to telecom.

So can Foundations take on the world, like Symphony has? Only if IBM backs it the same way and I wonder if it will happen.

Lotus Foundations Server SMB Sales Ideas

It thinks it can invade the SMB territory. Here's why:
IBM wants to encourage SMB to get off Microsoft Small Business server.
It's great they want them to go to Linux which is why they bought Nitix.
I applaud the direction of trying to put Domino on yet another Linux platform, and try to certify it for the Nitix distribution.
It runs Domino(basic mail server).
OK so it also handles Exchange, not everything is perfect.

Now, I am in the process of sending my Micro II server in an envelope back to Nitix.

I do want to remain a BP of theirs, I love the idea and presented a 1/2 dozen reasons why BPs should be selling this or using it. However I was told unless I bought a server I could not be a BP. Possibly I could buy the Nitix license and stay a BP. My instinct says IBM will revise the BP structure soon and we can revisit it then. So I decided to send it back anyway as I can not use it for anything and a new Dell PC costs $1,000 less even after licenses or if use Ubuntu nearly free from licenses.

6 Suggestions of sales ideas:
1) Backup solution for small businesses, Nitix promotes this idea, but I do not mean using it as a backup drive or tape offline, Imean as a backup hot swappable Domino server for an SMB or household.
2) Household server. Why would a LInux person buy this and use it that way? They wouldn't. But peopel who see themsleves as technical lovers, albeit without the true geekiness, would love to say they have a linux box at home doing x,yz. And their mail server too.
3) Use it as the Sametime server for SMB's. Or App server or Mail server.
4) DRP/BC "pick up and go" server. I'm in Florida, Hurricane central and the idea of grabbing my network and going someplace is very appealing to SMB clients, even larger organizations which know they can not take a whole server would like to take targeted groups or divisions information with them.
5) Trade show/Event staff who always need a server but really a 5-10 user one is fine and this would be perfect. No more prying a server from someone or always rebuilding your demos because someone took your server.
6) Home Web server. Moving forward a static IP address at home should be de facto standard(hello Comcast pay attention!)and so should the ability to have a web server running.

Unfortunately I also had some valid reasons for not wanting the little box to stay in our offices.

My main issue is the 5 user limitation. Which to be fair is a hardware issue somewhat but more a business decision as they feel beyond 5 users the box will perform not so well. I poionted out that it could and should be licenses to at least 15, possibly 25 in this condition although even I realize this would be an absolute maximum..

Sadly my pleas although stated to sales, marketing, technical and Lotus Execs for Nitix, fell on deaf ears for now. They recognize it isn't ready for any of the uses I had in mind and the IBM take over has put them in a middle ground which will take another quarter or 2 to resolve and produce some newer products. In addition to the capability of running Sametime and Quickr on top of it with presumably beefier hardware and RAM.

Looking forward to it in the future but for now it does not meet my SMB needs in the small form factor. Would love to be part of the internal discussion around this if anyone is reading this from within.

Lotus Foundation Server Micro Box

We all saw Mike Rhodin pick up the server from a mail envelope on stage at Lotusphere. Some of us went to see one up close and get more detail of it.

Some of us became Nitix partners. And received one in our offices.

Nice, small, reasonably efficient, but limited to 5 Domino/client licenses for usage!?

I had a client who needed it for 10 people. No can do. So close yet so far.

Understandably if you only had a 1gb ram, 1ghz processor, 90GB hard drive laptop you may not want to run Domino on it either. I would think about it if it is ONLY going to be running as a mail server though.

Sure I would like it to run Sametime too but that overhead is not going to fly. Yet.

Who needs another doorstop? Let's do the math and try to work out how this will end:

Dell Micro server optiplex 755 more beefier power for about $700 or a rough equivalent for about $450.
+ Windows 2008 Basic server with 5 cals $971
+ 5 more Cals roughly $50 each = $250.
+ Domino Server Express Collaboration version at $141 per user, or $1,410.
+ backup capacity or external drives $200
+ Anti-virus or santi spam software $200 between software and licensing.
Total: $4,000 or $3,750 at a low end server version not including shipping or taxes.

How much does the Foundation Server cost?
With 2 years of support for hardware and software (1st year is included we add 1 year)
+ 10 Domino license and client licenses
+ OS (Linux) plus 10 user licenses
+ CRM solution plus other software for file print sharing
+ backup software solution
+ autonomic self correcting software solution
+ 250GB external drive for the failover/backup
+ Antivirus and antispam software from Kaspersky
=============
Total: $2,700 customer price, not including shipping or taxes

Yes, I get a weaker server on the Foundation side but nothing comes close in size or portability. Portability is key in Florida or for the person on the go doing dmeos or just ad hoc networks.

But can I sell it to my client? No
Not structured for sellng with more than 5 user licenses.

Tune in next quarter or year when a hopefully beefier version is available.

But if you need one for a small office of 5 or less email me and it will get delivered within a few days.