Gmail and Microsoft Exchange could face serious competition as IBM launched its own on-demand web mail service. The technology giant named its service LotusLive iNotes.

LotusLive iNotes has all the enterprise functionalities that can be found on Gmail and Microsoft Exchange. IBM’s product offers enterprise e-mail service, contact management system, and calendaring tools. Best of all, IBM’s LotusLive iNotes is substantially cheaper than the services of its competitors.
For example, IBM’s enterprise Webmail has an initial price offering of $3 per month for a single user. This is definitely cheaper than Google Apps Premier Edition. The search giant’s service costs $50 annually for a single user.

Targeting Small and Large Businesses

In its drive to quickly overcome competition, IBM is targeting large as well as small to medium enterprises.
Specifically, IBM is banking on the need of large companies for on-demand mail services. More companies today want to shift from on-premise mail management system to on-demand services. IBM’s services therefore can be very useful for users who are not desk-bound.
At the same time, IBM is trying to woo small to medium sized enterprises that may be interested in cheaper on-demand services but have serious apprehensions about outages and security.
This is a direct swipe at Gmail, which was seriously hit by service interruptions and security issues in recent months. That is why IBM is drumbeating its service as the ideal alternative if you want reliability, strong security, and superior privacy.
However, IBM executives point out that no service provider can make fail proof guarantees for on-demand applications. The company though is banking on its experience in delivering reliable services around the world for mission-critical systems.

Winning-Over Microsoft Customers

With the introduction of LotusLive iNotes, IBM is hoping to snatch a considerable number of Microsoft customers. The company believes that lots of users are not prepared to adopt the new Microsoft Exchange 2010.
Migrating to the new Microsoft product involves lots of technical headaches. The cost of investment is also a big drawback for Microsoft Exchange. And analysts agree with IBM. They are saying that the price of IBM’s Webmail services is a big attraction for enterprise users.

Can IBM Topple the Giants?

IBM acquired the Webmail technology from Outblaze. For many years, Outblaze sold cheap and low cost web mail services. With the acquisition, IBM has formally entered the race for delivering low cost mailboxes. This sector has been dominated by Microsoft and Google for quite sometime now.
By re-branding the software of Outblaze, IBM definitely provided more value for it. If you are an enterprise user and you need a trustworthy provider, you will surely choose the IBM brand name over the relatively unknown company called Outblaze.
The reputation of the IBM brand is big incentive for enterprise users who need reliable email service. Experts believe that the entry of IBM to the Webmail service sector will not push Google and Microsoft to lower their pricing schemes. Microsoft already has a service that costs $2 per month per user. This option is called Deskless Worker and it is unlikely that the software giant will further cut its cost.

Print

Location: BlogsOSD Blog