News

IBM Challenges Microsoft with Sametime for Linux

In a move clearly aimed at Microsoft, IBM announced it has ported its enterprise instant messaging client to run atop Linux on the desktop and plans to have a Linux server product out next year.

To date, Lotus Sametime has only run on Windows-based clients. But the release of Sametime 7.5 for Linux later this month will change that.

"It's all about choice...[Sametime on Linux] is for all the people considering Linux [as a desktop operating system]," said Adam Gartenberg, offering manager for real-time and team collaboration in IBM Workplace and Lotus Software, in an interview.

Although IBM has been vociferous in its support of Linux over the past several years, it just recently began delivering key client technologies on desktop versions of the platform. For instance, in July, Big Blue began shipping a Lotus Notes client for Linux.

Now, the second major cornerstone of IBM's enterprise collaboration strategy, enterprise instant messaging, will attempt to sweeten IBM's Linux collaboration message.

"With IBM Lotus Notes for Linux and now, Lotus Sametime support for Linux, all of an organization's key collaborative business applications can run in a 100 percent Linux environment," Ken Bisconti, IBM's vice president of Lotus software products, said in a statement.

While Linux use is growing inside data centers -- especially as a replacement for larger, more expensive Unix deployments -- to date, Linux has made precious little headway on users' desktops. IBM hopes to use availability of its mainstream enterprise clients on the platform and Linux's low cost for initial deployment to leverage its way into small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) -- prime market territory for Microsoft's most recent product pitches.

According to IBM, Lotus Sametime support for Linux will be rolled out in two phases. Phase one, the Linux desktop client for Lotus Sametime, will be delivered within 30 days as Lotus Sametime 7.5. Support for the Linux server is expected in the first half of 2007.

About the Author

Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.

Featured

  • Report: Cost, Sustainability Drive DaaS Adoption Beyond Remote Work

    Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service reveals that while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.

  • Windows 365 Reserve, Microsoft's Cloud PC Rental Service, Hits Preview

    Microsoft has launched a limited public preview of its new "Windows 365 Reserve" service, which lets organizations rent cloud PC instances in the event their Windows devices are stolen, lost or damaged.

  • Hands-On AI Skills Now Outshine Certs in Salary Stakes

    For AI-related roles, employers are prioritizing verifiable, hands-on abilities over framed certificates -- and they're paying a premium for it.

  • Roadblocks in Enterprise AI: Data and Skills Shortfalls Could Cost Millions

    Businesses risk losing up to $87 million a year if they fail to catch up with AI innovation, according to the Couchbase FY 2026 CIO AI Survey released this month.