The director of marketing with a Toronto-based developer of a Lotus Domino-based enterprise content management software, made the observation that IBM appeared to be re-branding Lotus in an effort to perhaps distance from negative perceptions lingering about the platform.
A Montreal-based developer of electronic signature technology, Silanis Technology Inc., was also showcasing on the product show floor. Tommy Petrogiannis, president of the company, said IBM’s mobile and cloud push aligns rather well with its own. At this year’s event, Silanis showcased its software’s integration with LotusLive, IBM’s cloud-based collaboration suite.
Mark Durst, chief operating officer with Toronto-based Group Business Software, was showcasing its new Transformer software for making LotusNotes apps Web-enabled. Durst thought the theme this year, “Social Business: Get Social” was appropriate to extending the concept of social networking to the business and providing developers the APIs to integrate capabilities atop IBM’s collaboration software.
“They’re letting us leverage the corporate tools that IBM has developed, whether it’s SameTime or Connections, right into our applications,” said Durst. “The APIs are really easy to work with and we’re really excited about that opportunity.”
On a lighter note, Durst pointed out the perfect timing of Lotusphere 2011’s theme given the recently opened blockbuster movie, The Social Network, for which special guest Kevin Spacey was an executive producer.
“Does that surprise me? What was the biggest movie this year? It’s all about getting social,” said Durst.
Follow Kathleen Lau on Twitter: @KathleenLau
