PlanetNTF

Einige Zitate aus einem hervorragenden Beitrag zur IBM Connect von Tom Petrocelli auf cmswire:

… IBM announced and demonstrated what could be one of the most innovative collaboration and communication suites. The next generation collaboration suite will combine all of a knowledge worker’s and team’s collaboration tools and conversations, in one place.
… The integration with IBM Watson, the cognitive computing platforms, will offer big gains in productivity by automating the retrieval of information. ….
Even better, Watson is the foundation of a smart personal assistant. Unlike conventional personal assistants such as Cortana, Siri or Google Now, Watson analyzes content within communications to automate common processes. It can look at an email, for example, and extract an implicit task request.

Source: Time for IBM to Stage an Intervention? #IBMConnect

Tom Petrocelli ist mit der Einschätzung von IBM Verse und den Vorteilen des IBM Collaboration-Portfolios nict alleine. Rob Enderle zieht auf CIO.com einen Vergleich zwischen dem E-Mail-Krieg zwischen Microsoft Outlook und Lotus Notes. IBM Verse ist – nicht nur seiner Ansicht nach – der deutlich überlegene E-Mail-Klient:

Well IBM came back this year with a vengeance with a product called Verse and an alliance with Apple that is actually changing how IBM approaches this market. Verse is user-focused, it changes the process of last-in-first-out email management to one based on importance to the user. In addition, it layers on cognitive computing to both automate much of the process and assure that the user doesn’t make career ending or project limiting mistakes. With a full implementation its goal is to have a product that almost writes the email itself and helps the author ensure that not only the spelling and grammar are correct, but the tone of the email is appropriate.
Future versions should be able to answer questions automatically that come in via email, instant messaging, social networks or text, freeing up the user to focus on those messages that require a more dedicated response. …

Source: Can IBM redefine the future of email? | CIO

Welche eine Einschätzung, die dann schreibt Enderle allerdings IBM ins Stammbuch:

IBM Verse is arguably the best email client you’ve never heard of and this points to the product’s Achilles’ heel. You see one of the problems with a user- focused, rather than an IT-focused, approach is that users have to get excited about the project. Now when Louis Gerstner executed the IBM turnaround, one of the cornerstones of his effort was a marketing organization staffed by the best people he could find, something he evidently learned from turning around Nabisco. He, unlike most of the folks running tech companies, recognized that perception leads to reality and that folks would need to see IBM as different first. The organization would have to create a marketing program aimed at users designed to get them excited about the offering and drive it into their organizations. …
With Verse, IBM has a powerful tool to retake the email market, but without an equally powerful marketing campaign, it can’t rise to its potential.

Source: Can IBM redefine the future of email? | CIO

Nach dem Versuch mit IBM Verse Basic muss ein neuer Anlauf her. Vielleicht – ich hoffe es – bringt die neue General Managerin für die IBM Collaborations-Lösungen, Inhi Cho Su, neuen Wind in die Vermarktung?

Bemerkenswert sind auch die Ausführungen von Tom Petrocelli gegen Ende des Artikels zum Verhalten vieler Kunden und auch Partner. IBM ist weiter Notes verpflichtet und bekräftigt dies auch immer wieder. Warum also umsteigen, obwohl die neue Technologie die oben beschriebenen, entscheidenden Vorteile bietet:

Many admit that IBM Verse, built using the new IBM design thinking methodology, is superior. They just aren’t ready to move forward with migrating to the new software when the old software works fine. …
It encourages the conservative impulse in IT professionals to not “fix something that ain’t broke.”  …
The problem with this attitude is that email is broken and IBM is offering a fix, while at the same time giving them cover to do nothing. And doing nothing is doing an active disservice to end-users. …
Unfortunately, it is creating innovative software for an ultraconservative ecosystem and customer base. Ultimately, the ecosystem hurt IBM’s customers. Their customers are, by insisting on keeping their communication platform the same, hurting themselves as well.

Source: Time for IBM to Stage an Intervention? #IBMConnect

Ist die Kundenbasis wirklich so konservativ? Was ist mit all den Kunden, die IBM Connections einsetzen und den Nutzen der nächsten Generation von Collaboration Software sehen? IBM Verse, IBM Connections, Project Toscana mit kräftiger Einspritzung kognitiver Technologien und unter Investitionsschutz des Domino-Backends müssten doch eigentlich Grund genug sein, den nächsten, dringend notwendigen Schritt aus dem E-Mail Gefängnis in die Zukunft zu gehen. Oder hält vor allem die Diskussion um Cloud und On Premises den Zug auf? Was meint Ihr?