Lotus Notes native mail on the iPad - is it time?
Tags :iPad iPhone DWA iNotes
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I watched, not one, but three people within two rows around me pull out iPads (in varying cases I noted) and begin reading books or other writer material. As I watched them flip a page here and there, open a game app on another and generally do nothing else, email was a missing component. One even took out a laptop as well. So I began to think, it pursuing this as a true mobile platform client worth it? If you want the summary answer now to skip reading, I say no. Not as "client" as we know it. But a hybrid model of some sort.
Pro
People are wanting more applications and function. They believe that this can replace basic features they have in their netbook or laptop. It is highly portable, super long battery life, quick to launch and offers a blend of work and pleasure. Carrying a lighter weight client and browser in one is attractive. Having a device employees want to carry makes it an easy sell. If you walked in to a meeting with a stack and said use this for your mobile (non phone) device how many would turn it down?
With 3G and wifi, you are online anywhere. Data plans are reasonable. Attending online meetings is a breeze. The camera and mic built in. Carrying cases for #nerdgirls will be stylish.
Con
The iPad is a media consumption device, not enterprise. It was built as such and will grow in that direction for some time to come. It is not a true replacement for laptops and netbooks, yet the comfort factor drives adoption. Enterprises do not have control, policies enforcement or even the ability to remote wipe.
There would be difficulty handling encryption, connectivity, replication. An id file is not something you toss on the device easily since application deployment goes through Apple, not your company. Storage space would compete with movies, videos, pictures and music.
No real keyboard. The virtual one is ok, but takes getting used to. Then the added accessory of adding one. Printing is not native, it costs a few bugs to buy an app to allow you to print.
All your other applicatons they expect from Lotus Notes will either be web (which can then be done on anything) or written in addition. Once again it would be Apple deployment control, not your as in plugins for Lotus Notes and Sametime.
Summary
I could go on and list each and every aspect, but I find it redundant from other web sites. The point being that just having web access is "ok" via Lotus Domino iNotes (not the other one), so why put forth the effort? Pulling mail via POP/IMAP is a show-stopper right away as most enterprises have killed that off as an option. Not being able to control the app deployment and configuration (policies) is a stopper. The demand for them makes them a risk item to carry. Encryption in the true Notes model is missing.
Oh yeah, I couldn't have written this offline on the plane, replicated it quickly later and moved along.
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On Thursday, May 13th, 2010 by Chris Miller
