The Axiot Blog

Yesterday (06-Jan-09) IBM released version 8.5 of the Lotus Notes and Domino collaboration platform.

Highlights of this release include:

• DAOS - Domino Attachment and Object Service - which removes attached files from the main Domino NSF store, and instead stores them in a directory structure on the server's disk. This has advantages for overall storage size (each file is only stored once - particularly useful for Notes mail users), backups (the ever-changing NSF files are far smaller) and performance (again, smaller NSF files).
• A new Windows single sign-on method, eliminating to need to manually synchronise Windows and Notes-ID passwords:

  The new ID Vault feature allows administrators to securely automate tasks such as recovering lost IDs and password resets, allowing administrators to focus on other important tasks. Shared Logon provides a secure way of accessing Notes and Domino applications while maintaining only a single password that end users are familiar with, the Windows password.

• xpages - a new way of building web-based applications on the Domino platform. Fully buzzword-enabled with things like Dojo and AJAX, this really is a revolution in Domino web development.
• Domino Designer in Eclipse - at last, Notes/Domino developers have a set of software tools that are up to date with contemporary expectations. Or ... nearly: in fact it's a bit of a "work in progress" this one - expect more releases of this in the relatively short term. Definitely a big step in the right direction.
• Last of this little selection, but by no means least: a full Eclipse-based native Mac client. IBM are so confident about the future of the Mac as a business platform, and the part that Lotus Notes will play in that future, that the 8.5 announcement was made to time with the Macworld'09 opening. For the first time since the dinosaurs, IBM Lotus are exhibiting at Macworld - times they are a-changing.

There's lots more in this release. For more details, see the official IBM press release, or view the slideshow below (hint: click at the bottom right-hand corner to send it 'full screen' so that you can actually read the words!)