Sametime 8.5 UI heading back to version 3 with the Yahoo change
Tags :Sametime Sametime Gateway Yahoo plug-in community
IBM has announced that Yahoo is ending the provisioning available via the Sametime Gateway. Instead, IBM will be offering a new plug-in for the Sametime client that allows users to have their very own Yahoo id to connect. Basically removing the entire idea behind corporate identity.
Today, your Lotus Sametime Gateway integrates directly with the Yahoo! Messenger servers through single sign-on capability, letting your employees use their corporate Sametime identity to exchange presence information and text chats with Yahoo! Messenger users. Yahoo has notified IBM that it intends to discontinue this method of interoperability in the near future.
As this reads, it is not IBM's fault at all. But here is my issues with creating and allowing this new plug-in.
- The loss of corporate identity in how an employee represents themselves is immediately removed. Users may not create, connect and pretend to be whatever name they wish. With the Sametime Gateway you knew they showed as their corporate email address. This represented the company. Once you open the ability for this plug-in, they will be able to connect as any identity they desire.
- The current connectivity and presence established will not transfer or migrate. Users will need to notify clients, customers and partners that they usernames will be changing. This means that not only are employees required to rebuild an entire buddylist for Yahoo, but outside vendors that may not get notification will simply cease to see your corporate users on Yahoo any longer.
- Depending on how Lotus writes this plug-in, and the outcome and answers given in the upcoming Open Mic call on June 7th, I imagine that users will go directly to the Yahoo servers. Unless the users are still ported through the Sametime Gateway, you must now open the Yhaoo ports for any and all users needing this capability
- You must now change security controls. This follows the above point. Your enterprise may have already established their presence using only the Sametime Gateway. You were then able to eliminate all installed chat clients to the public networks. This effectively brings you back to that point.
- The UI for Sametime goes back to the version 3.1 idea of a consolidated client offering multiple logins for different chat systems. Losing the single sing-on look and controls found today.
- I must open the policy that currently restricts users from adding multiple communities so they may now add the public chat community for Yahoo.
- I must push a plug-in out to users
- Many of the features found in the native (and amazing) Yahoo Messenger client will not be present, driving many avid Yahoo users a bit crazy.
Image courtesy Carl Tyler from his blog.
I do not agree with the plug-in move forcing users to install a new community that connects to public networks. I may have already restricted anyone from adding external networks to force connectivity points across the Sametime Gateway. Opening this allows them to add any community. Including the great ones at Bleed Yellow and Greenhouse. However, it then opens them to go and connect to any Sametime server that will have them.
If you have not installed the Sametime Gateway, I would suggest this book being your first stop. Installing and Administrating the Sametime Gateway. While written for version 7.5, it contains all the base information needed to understand the steps and requirements.
Disclosure: Yeah that is my book.
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On Monday, June 6th, 2011 by Chris Miller
