Perhaps the biggest news around the release of Domino 8.5.3 is the free entitlement to Lotus Connections Files and Profiles.  This is really big news. I  can't think of a single customer of mine that does not have some method of sharing files and some method of providing access to a directory of employees. The fact that they now are entitled to the foundation of what is arguably the best business social networking software on the market should have them all planning for the upgrade.  While the entitlement to the software is free, there are still costs involved in implementing Lotus Connections.  This article will help get you started with the planning process.

by Dave Jacob, Managing Partner, WebSphere Practice   

My learning experience about business intelligence and computer systems took a turn for the better last weekend. It was my wife, Kathy, who enlightened me and while the solution involves no technology yet, it should. Last weekend Kathy and I were doing our weekend errands. We were at the national drugstore chain, CVS, in our neighborhood and among the things we were buying were a particular nationally branded dental floss product. Unfortunately, CVS wasn't carrying this brand on the shelf. At the CVS checkout counter, Kathy told the store clerk about this issue necessitating a visit to a competitor's store. The clerk mentioned that there was a store generic brand that competed with the national brand. Kathy explained that she had used the CVS brand of this product before but felt it was an inferior brand that often broke. The clerk was very courteous and apologized, rung up the items we had purchased, and moved on to the next person in line.

What a lost opportunity for CVS! Here is what CVS should have learned:

Read more...