top reasons to choose ibm lotus quickr

7/30/2019 Top reasons to choose IBM Lotus Quickr

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IBM SOFTWARE GROUP COMPETITIVE PROJECT OFFICE

Top reasons to choose IBM

Lotus Quickr (DominoServices) over Microsoft

Windows SharePoint

Services

12/12/2007


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IBM Software Group Competitive Project Office

This document can be shared under NDA

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The information contained in this documentation is provided for informational purposes only. While

efforts were made to verify the completeness and accuracy of the information contained in this

documentation, it is provided as is without warranty of any kind, express or implied. In addition, some

ofthis information is based on IBMs current product plans and strategy, which are subject to change by

IBM without notice. IBM shall not be responsible for any damages arising out of the use of, or otherwise

related to, this documentation or any other documentation. Nothing contained in this documentation is

intended to, nor shall have the effect of, creating any warranties or representations from IBM (or its

suppliers or licensors), or altering the terms and conditions of the applicable license agreement

governing the use of IBM software.

References in these materials to IBM products, programs, or services do not imply that they will be

available in all countries in which IBM operates. Product release dates and/or capabilities referenced in

these materials may change at any time at IBMs sole discretion based on market opportunities or other

factors, and are not intended to be a commitment to future product or feature availability in any way.

The Microsoft product described in this paper is Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

Information about Windows SharePoint Services was compiled from IBM internal studies and Microsoft

sources such as Office Online (http://office.microsoft.com/en-

us/sharepointserver/FX100492001033.aspx) , Microsoft Developer Network

(http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693437.aspx) and Microsoft Technet

(http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sharepointserver/default.aspx)

Copyright IBM Corporation 2007

IBM Corporation

Software Group CPO

294 Route 100

Somers, NY 10589

USA

Produced in the United States

December 2007

All Rights Reserved

IBM, the IBM logo, AIX, Domino, i5/OS, Lotus, Notes, Quickr,Sametime and Tivoli are trademarks of

International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and other countries.

Java and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States, other

countries or both.

Other company, product or service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective

owners.
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693437.aspxhttp://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693437.aspxhttp://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693437.aspxhttp://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693437.aspx


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Table of ContentsAdvantages for End-Users ............................................................................................................................. 4

1. Reduce storage redundancy by managing email attachments ......................................................... 4

2. Maintain one version of the truth .................................................................................................... 6

3. Tailor the collaboration channel to the preferences of the workforce ............................................ 7

4. Maintain library control of documents whilst still working in Microsoft Office ............................... 8

5. Take your work with you on the road ............................................................................................... 8

6. Browse document contents while travelling or while using a borrowed computer ...................... 10

7. Group related documents into Binders for processing ................................................................ 11

8. Quickly isolate information or a document by searching across multiple sites ............................. 12

9. Promote collaboration with external participants .......................................................................... 12

Advantages for development teams ........................................................................................................... 13

1. Add new functionality to a Quickr place with client side JavaScript code ..................................... 13

2. Automate routine tasks .................................................................................................................. 13

Advantages for CIOs/IT departments ......................................................................................................... 14

1. Provide presence services without additional deployment or licensing costs ............................... 14

2. Easily migrate from Lotus Quickplace ............................................................................................. 15

3. Help minimize business downtime during data recovery ............................................................... 15

4. Replication allows companies to achieve decent performance in distributed environments ....... 16

5. Choose a platform that matches your strategy .............................................................................. 16

6. Help avoid expensive infrastructure prerequisites ......................................................................... 16

Advantages for Executives .......................................................................................................................... 17

1. Attractive acquisition costs ............................................................................................................. 17


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Top reasons to choose IBM Lotus Quickr

over Microsoft Windows SharePointServices

Note: This document refers to Lotus Quickr for Domino Services.

Windows SharePoint Services is also bundled together with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

which is a licensed offering. Office SharePoint Server 2007 is beyond the scope of this paper as its

feature set would encompass Quickr, WebSphere Portal, and possibly Workplace Forms.

Advantages for End-Users

1. Reduce storage redundancy by managing email attachments

The IBMLotus Quickr connector for Lotus Notes provides a way for users to manage the

numerous attachments they receive via email. With most email systems, the collaboration process is

typically the following:

1. A user creates a document, attaches it to an email and sends it to multiple users2. One, or many of the recipients, will then detach the document, edit it, save it to disk, then

attach the file to an email and reply to the sender and copy all the other addressees

3. The process is repeated until all revisions are merged, the multiple file copies are synced up,and the team is satisfied with the final document

This process often results in numerous un-synchronized copies of the document appended with v1, v2,

v3, etc. Not only does it make it difficult to locate the latest version, but these copies take up space both

on the local workstations as well as in the mail server store. Furthermore, a new team member that did

not participate in the ongoing discussion will have no visibility to the history of the collaboration, unless

he/she gets forwarded the different email threads, a time consuming and error-prone process.

With the new approach afforded by the Lotus Quickr Connectors, collaboration no longer needs to takeplace exclusively in email. The documents are maintained in a central location where all revisions and

comments are being saved. Emails being sent around contain only a link to the document, not the actual

attachment. The user experience however is not impacted: clicking on the link will open the document...

naturally. And the file being opened is the latest version, not an outdated copy.

Furthermore, if a user tries to send an email with a document attachment, he/she will be reminded to

save it to a document library instead. The user can override the prompt and continue sending it as a


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regular email attachment if they wish, but the pop-up prompt (Figure 1) makes it convenient for the

user to save to a common repository.

Figure 1 - Quickr Connector attachment prompt

By taking the tedium out of the process, it encourages users to make use of a document repository. The

Quickr connector replaces the document attachment with a link to the document in the library instead.

This dramatically reduces the size of an email providing a number of benefits:

1. Reduction in network bandwidth usage2. Reduction in disk usage on the local workstation3. Reduction in disk usage on the mail server4. Reduce the need to constantly prune or archive a mail file that has gone over its quota


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5. Reduce version anxiety: the latest version is available in one click6. New team members get up to speed more quickly as they are ensured access to the latest

document, with all its history and context

Note: In addition to working with Lotus Notes 6.5 and 7.0 today, the Quickr connectors are also

currently planned to support Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes 8.0.1 with the next release of Quickr

(8.1) currently targeted for 1H 2008. Product plans are subject to change.

SharePoint allows users to insert attachments from files stored in SharePoint repository, but In order to

send a link to a document, the user is forced to open a new browser session and manually navigate to

the SharePoint document library and then upload the document. Subsequently, the user needs to

manually copy the URL to the document, create a new email in Outlook and paste the URL in the email

body (Figure 2). Neither does Windows SharePoint Services automatically prompt the user to save

attachments.

Figure 2 - Creating a document link in a Microsoft environment

2. Maintain one version of the truth

A study by the Chief Knowledge Architect of KPMG found that on average a document is stored in 7

different places. Which brings us to another key benefit of storing attachments in the Quickr document

library; namely, you are able to quickly locate the latest, greatest version the one version of the truth.

No longer do you have the scenario where everyone shows up to a meeting with printouts from

different versions of document. Everyone can refer to Page 6 knowing it will be the same contentthroughout the team. In todays post-Enron environment, being able to locate key documents is not just

a nice-to-have, it is a regulatory requirement. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires companies to keep an

auditable trail of documents used in financial reporting. Some of these documents like off-ledger

calculation spreadsheets need to be available in their latest incarnation to all members of the finance

and audit teams. By facilitating access to one central repository from multiple clients not just

Microsoft Office tools - the Quickr connectors help make it easier to follow business controls practices.


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The manual processes involved in the use of Windows SharePoint Services encourage users to keep

multiple copies of a document all over their workstation and the network. The work required to locate

and manage these multiple copies may contribute to a loss in productivity.

3. Tailor the collaboration channel to the preferences of the workforce

A 2005 report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project called "Teens and Technology1

" foundthat teenagers use new technology, like instant messaging, or text messaging, for interacting with

friends and use e-mail to communicate with "old people." This sentiment also reflects the mentality of

Generation Y, many of whom are entering the workforce now. Companies need to provide these new

employees with tools that they are familiar with in order to make this new generation as productive as

possible. IBM recognizes this, which is why the Quickr connectors can also integrate natively into Lotus

Sametime as a new channel by which to collaborate on documents. A Sametime plug-in allows users to

seamlessly browse documents from the Quickr document libraries and add the document to a chat

session. The participants can check out the document directly from the Quickr repository, edit it, and

then check it back in, all within the context of an instant message or VoIP chat session. (Figure 3)

Figure 3 - Collaborating on a document inside a chat session

1Lenhart, Amanda, and Madden, Mary. Teens and Technology. Pew Internet and American Life Project. 27 July

2005.


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Microsoft does not provide any comparable capabilities. Users collaborate by congregating around a

Windows SharePoint Services web page and editing the documents in the document library without

taking advantage of a real-time collaboration scenario.

4. Maintain library control of documents whilst still working in Microsoft Office

Both Quickr as well as Windows SharePoint Services allow you to open, save, check-in and outdocuments from within Microsoft Office. However Quickr provides a number of conveniences that are

not found with Windows SharePoint Services. For example, Quickr provides you the option of accessing

its features either through a menu entry or a set of toolbar icons (Figure 4). The Quickr connectors also

make intelligent guesses when it comes to working with documents. For example when you choose to

edit a document it automatically opens and checks out the document for you. Similarly when you click

on the check-in command Quickr automatically checks in as well as prompts you to save the document.

These usability enhancements help people focus on getting the job done instead of learning how to use

a tool.

Figure 4 - Accessing Quickr via menu or toolbar icons within Microsoft Excel

5. Take your work with you on the road

When the time comes for you to travel, you can take the entire Quickr place with you. Clicking on the

Work Offline link causes the Sync Manager to download the place file to your local workstation. You

can specify a maximum size as well as other parameters such as Replicate only documents modified in

the last xdays to manage the size of the resulting file. This local copy is encrypted so that a loss of

equipment does not result in a security breach. While you are travelling, you work with the place in

exactly the same manner as you do with the online version. (Figure 5) The only difference is the

hostname portion of the URL points to localhost instead of the server.


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Figure 5 - Quickr offline replication

Once you return from your travels and reconnect to the corporate network the Sync Manager

automatically synchronizes any changes to the server copy. The entire experience is seamless.

Windows SharePoint Services provides offline capabilities, however they require significant manual

intervention. This starts with manually initiating offline sync for each and every list of the site you wish

to take offline. Once you have done so, you will realize that the lists that comprise a teamsite are not

grouped together. Their relationship has been broken and all you see is a collection of all the lists you

have subscribed to, which may have come from multiple different teamsites. To make matters worse,

only data is synchronized offline. This means that any logic or graphical representation for the lists is not

shown. A prime example is the project management list Web Part in SharePoint (Figure 6).

Figure 6 - Project Management web part in SharePoint


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When this project management data is synchronized for offline access into Outlook 2007, it looks like

this (Figure 7)

Figure 7 - Offline Project Management view of the SharePoint web part

As a result, users have to learn a new paradigm for working with the information in online and offline

modes.

6. Browse document contents while travelling or while using a borrowed computer

Users who are browsing a Quickr document library can view the contents of a file without launching a

thick client application. For example, if the file is a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, Quickr will

convert the presentation being uploaded to an HTML readable format so that the browser is able to

render the content page by page. This allows users to who travelling or who may be accessing the

place via a shared workstation to view the data even though that machine does not have Microsoft

Office installed. (Figure 8)


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Figure 8 - A PowerPoint document rendered by the Quickr viewer

Windows SharePoint Services lack of built-in document viewers means that if you are accessing the

teamsite from a public terminal or a workstation without an office suite, you will not be able to view the

contents of documents in the library.

7. Group related documents into Binders for processing

An entry in Quickrs document library can comprise of more than 1 document. Several related

documents can be grouped together into a virtual binder. For example, a proposal may consist of a

cover letter, a spreadsheet detailing the pricing scheme, and a PowerPoint presentation with a summary

of the deliverables. All these files can be uploaded into a single entry in Quickrs document library. Thedocuments are treated as a single entity in terms of locking as well as versioning. This allows users to

replicate their actual work processes. (Figure 9)


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Figure 9 - A proposal binder with multiple documents

Windows SharePoint Services associates a single document with each entry in the document library.

There is no mechanism to associate related documents into a single virtual entity forcing users to make

comments to explain how pieces of content relate to each others.

8. Quickly isolate information or a document by searching across multiple sites

Quickr allows users to search across all places that they have access to. Windows SharePoint Services

limits the search scope to a single teamsite at a time.

9. Promote collaboration with external participants

Todays business environment is characterized by a web of relationships between the enterprise and

its partners, suppliers, vendors, and customers. No longer do organizations collaborate internally only; it

is often necessary to enable collaboration with partners, suppliers and customers to conduct business.

With Quickr, all participants - whether internal or external - can easily collaborate as part of a team.

Quickr makes it easy to add external parties to a place. All that is required is their email address. (Figure

10) There is no need to add these individuals to a directory. IT security concerns often prevent the

addition of non-employees to a corporate directory so this feature is invaluable. Inviting external

collaborators also does not require the intervention of corporate IT personnel. Quickr place owners caneasily perform the task themselves.


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Figure 10 - Add external user by email address

In order to access a Windows SharePoint Services server a user must have an account either in Active

Directory or the local system account. This may make it difficult to allow external users access to a

SharePoint teamsite. In order to get around this, companies usually create a separate extranet

SharePoint server which has its own standalone user directory (typically using Active DirectoryApplication Mode). Customers and business partners accounts are created in this directory. If an

internal employee wishes to access the data, an account is created for him or her. This results in

duplicate accounts and increases the administrative burden on IT to manage redundant credentials.

Advantages for development teams

1. Add new functionality to a Quickr place with client side JavaScript code

Lotus Quickr allows developers to define JavaScript functions that are called before and after a page is

processed. These JavaScript functions can perform all manner of tasks such as enhancing the user

interface, or performing some form of form validation.

Windows SharePoint Services does not allow any client side script to run2. Microsoft claims it is due to

security risks.

2. Automate routine tasks

Quickr allows developers to add code that processes documents or data within a place using an artifact

known as a Placebot. Placebots can be triggered by events or run on a scheduled basis. For example, a

Placebot may send an email notifying all members when a new document is added. Scheduled Placebots

can run at off peak hours to archive or process documents that were uploaded during the day. (Figure

11)

2Inline script is not executed in a default page, such as for working with lists or managing a site, although you can

implement code-behind pages in which script will run. (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-

us/library/ms980864.aspx)


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Figure 11 - Configuring a Placebot to run on a schedule

Placebots can even be used for compliance purposes; automatically filing documents or forms into the

appropriate folders based on keywords or field definitions. The possibilities are limited only the

imagination of the developer. Creating the Placebots is a simple exercise, especially those developers

with Lotus Dominodevelopment expertise. Placebots utilize the same object model as well as the

same development languages LotusScript, and Java as traditional Lotus Domino applications.

Deploying a Placebot is as simple as uploading the script code into the target place.

Windows SharePoint Services does not allow scheduled processes, but it allows one to add custom

event handler code that is triggered when a new item is added, deleted, or updated. However, creating

this event sink is fairly complex and requires learning a new object model as well as programming in C#.

The Event Sink itself has a number of limitations such as being asynchronous, stateless, and unable to

trigger other events. In addition, it runs in the Internet Information Server application pool process so

your code must implement the appropriate impersonation of the currently logged-in account so that the

proper security access controls are maintained. Deploying the event sink requires first that the code

itself be added to the Global Assembly Cache. Then the Schema.xml file for the list must be edited to

point to the Event Sinks assembly and class definitions.

Advantages for CIOs/IT departments

1. Provide presence services without additional deployment or licensing costs

Although both Lotus Quickr and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services can support presence

awareness such as live names, Quickr does so without requiring additional software on the client.


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Enabling presence awareness in Quickr for a Lotus Sametimeserver is simply a matter of turning on a

switch in the preferences page. When a user navigates to a page, Java applets automatically load and

display presence information in name fields. For simple presence and chat and natively integrating with

Web conferences, there is no pre-requisite for the Sametime Connect client to be installed on each

machine.

In order to provide the same level of functionality in Windows SharePoint Services the full Microsoft

Office Communicator thick client must be installed on the users desktop. When the user navigates to a

SharePoint page, an ActiveX control on the page acts as a shim and calls the underlying code in Office

Communicator to perform the connection to Office Communications Server. The ActiveX control is

merely a proxy or conduit to harness the code in Office Communicator. Corporate IT must deploy and

manage the Office Communicator software on all participating desktops. Further, acquiring an Office

Communications Server CAL (either Standard, or Enterprise, or both) does not entitle one to the Office

Communicator license. This must be either purchased separately or come as part of an enhanced bundle

such as Office Professional Plus or Enterprise edition. This may result in greater costs: both in terms of

systems management as well as licensing fees. It also makes it difficult for extranet users to participateunless they already own the requisite software.

2. Easily migrate from Lotus Quickplace

Upgrading to Quickr from Quickplace is a very straightforward operation. The entire process executes in-

place without requiring additional hardware. The application itself can be upgraded by running the

Quickr installer which installs the necessary files onto the embedded Lotus Domino server. Data files are

left intact and can be migrated by issuing a few commands in the console to register the new Quickr

places. All the existing data is preserved. This allows companies to get up and running quickly without

losing precious hours or days while the new system is brought online. Users who are in the midst of

product design, campaign planning, or issue resolution will be thankful that they will be able to accesstheir collaborative team spaces with minimal interruption.

It is possible to upgrade from Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 to WSS 3.0 in-place using the migration

tools. However, users who have earlier versions such as SharePoint Team Services will have to undergo a

lengthy process if they which to move to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. First the team sites need to

be backed up, then SharePoint Team Services needs to be uninstalled, only then is Windows SharePoint

Services 3.0 installed, and finally the data is restored. A major reason for this process is the fact that

Microsoft radically altered the underlying data storage mechanism, moving from the Web Store to SQL

Server.

3. Help minimize business downtime during data recoverySince each Quickr place is a Lotus Domino NSF file, backup and restoration is a very simple undertaking.

Any backup software will be able to handle the process. Should a particular place become corrupt or

require restoration in to retrieve some data, the file can be copied out from the backup repository

without taking down the entire system.


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Windows SharePoint Services stores all the site content data in a single SQL Server database. In order to

restore the team site, the entire database needs to be restored. In the meantime the entire system will

have to be taken offline while the restore operation is running. Users of other team sites will also lose

their data as the system is rolled back to an earlier state.

4. Replication allows companies to achieve decent performance in distributed environmentsMany companies have operations in multiple cities as well as countries around the globe. Teams are

often assembled with employees from these far flung locations. These virtual teams use tools such as

Quickr to collaborate and share information. However, some of these locales may be saddled with slow

network links. In many developing countries the cost of broadband connections may be prohibitive. In

these situations, instead of accessing a central Quickr server, the place may be replicated to on-site

servers. This allows users at that location to interact with a local server ensuring good performance.

During off-peak hours, the server can then replicate any updates to the main server located somewhere

else. Having this replication capability can potentially save thousands in network connectivity charges. It

also can help boost user productivity by eliminating the annoying wait of accessing a server over a

narrowband link. Instead of watching an hourglass, your sales reps could be making more customercalls. At a time where more and more users are accessing content wirelessly, and where the increase in

the size of the traffic and content outpaces enhancements in global network capacity, this issue

becomes more and more relevant.

Windows SharePoint Services does not have a replication capability. All Windows SharePoint Services

boxes access an individual or clustered SQL Server repository. Microsofts solution is to deploy a

centralized SharePoint Services farm and equip all satellite offices with high speed network links so that

performance is tolerable. This is an ideal approach - however it may not be a feasible option especially

for small to medium businesses with budget constraints.

5. Choose a platform that matches your strategy

Quickr supports a variety of platforms on the server (including Windows, Solaris, AIX, and i5/OS). This

allows you to leverage the existing infrastructure and expertise of your IT staff. Quickr also works with

industry standard LDAP directory servers (including Tivoli Directory Server, Sun ONE Directory Server,

Lotus Domino, and Microsoft Active Directory) that may already be deployed in the company. Since the

user profiles are already populated in these directories no additional work needs to be performed

neither to setup the server nor populate it with data. This flexibility also ensures that you are not tied to

a specific infrastructure.

SharePoint Services only runs on Windows Server 2003, and requires Active Directory for the LDAP.

6. Help avoid expensive infrastructure prerequisites

Lotus Quickr is a complete collaboration package no additional infrastructure beyond the server OS is

required for complete operations.

Conversely, Windows SharePoint Services is tightly bound to the Microsoft ecosystem, and has a

number of prerequisites in order to function completely. For example:


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Active Directory is required for user authentication and general directory SQL Server is required to store data and configuration. Although SQL Server Express is included

with Windows SharePoint Services, Microsoft does not recommend using it in production

deployments. SQL Server Express also has performance and size limitations that prevent it from

scaling beyond small groups of users

Microsoft Office is required to view the contents of document libraries Offline access requires licenses to Outlook 2007 or Groove 2007

Advantages for Executives

1. Attractive acquisition costs

Even though Windows SharePoint Services is touted as a free offering, a typical deployment sometimes

ends up being more expensive than Quickr. How is that possible? This is due to a number of reasons:

The primary cost component is the data repository. Although Windows SharePoint Servicesships with SQL Server Express, this database is not recommended for production use because of

performance and capacity limitations, for example the maximum database size is capped at

4GB. Hence, a full license to SQL Server 2005 must be procured. SQL Server is available in both

per user and per processor licensing models. Most companies elect to purchase a per-processor

license since the per-user model becomes more expensive after just 38 users (SQL Server 2005

Standard Edition, retail pricing).

In order to use Windows SharePoint Services, each user must have a Windows Server 2003Client Access License (CAL). These CALs may already be included in an Enterprise AgreementCore CAL.

The Microsoft Office suite may be required (while Quickr supports Office, there are plans to alsosupport Lotus Symphony, an alternative productivity suite built on Open Office, which use can

help even further reduce operating costs)

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