Version 8 of Lotus Sametime, IBM's IM and presence package for in-house corporate use, started shipping on November 29.
From now on, Sametime comes in two flavors. The basic version, Lotus Sametime Entry, is $20 per user (list price). It has a basic set of IM, chat, and presence services.
Lotus Sametime Standard adds a variety of features, of which the most important include VoIP, Web and video conferencing, and XMPP/SIMPLE gateways to public IM services. New features include:
- Support for Domino 8 servers and VMWare servers
- Support for more mobile devices, including the Nokia E-series, Sony Ericsson, and Windows Mobile 6
- Mac video support
- Integration with MS Office 2007
Sametime Standard lists at $57.75 per user.
Sametime Advanced is a third flavor, due for release in the first quarter of 2008. Main features will be:
- Persistent chat rooms
- Real-time community collaboration tools -- send chats, polls, announcements, or "skill tap" questions to all members of the community at once
- Screen sharing
- Location Services
For further information, see the IBM press release.
... David Ferris