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How Lotus is Adding Value with Lotus Connections
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Hopefully you already know that Lotus Connections 2.5 shipped this morning. Lotus continues to add value in to the Lotus Connections package at no additional cost. Lets take a look at just a few of the value adds bundled in with Connections 2.5
Wikis - in the 2.0.1 release Lotus introduced Integration of Connections with 3rd party Wiki vendors which they continue to support in Connections 2.5. Connections 2.5 also introduces a full blown Wiki of it's own. Cost for the Wiki component if you already own Connections - FREE
Files - a new feature in Connections 2.5 that makes it easy to share files both publicly to allow others in the organization to discover your content, and privately when you need to simply share a file with one or two individuals. Cost for the Files component if you already own Connections - FREE
We have previously covered what is coming in Notes 8.5.1 for Connections 2.5, another great value add for organizations using both products.
The last item while not an end-user feature, is a really huge change in Connections Licensing. As you probably know Lotus Connections runs on Websphere Application Server (WAS). WAS comes in two flavors
-Websphere Application Server
-Websphere Application Server Network Deployment
In Lotus Connections 2.0.1 and prior while clustering was supported, the Connections license only entitled you to Websphere Application Server, not the Network Deployment version which is required for clustering. With the release of Lotus Connections 2.5 the entitlement has changed and you are now able to use the Network Deployment version at an additional cost of ZERO
Want to know what that is worth, take a look at the Websphere Application Server Network Deployment homepage
while you might not actually pay the Suggested Retail Price (you can learn more about the PVU Licensing Model here) this is still a significant value added in to your existing Connections license.
Whether you plan on clustering or not, you should consider using the Network Deployment version and using a Deployment Manager, but that will be a topic for another day.
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