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Document ID: ROSN-43326R

Network Station - Lotus eSuite WorkPlace - Questions and Answers

Applicable to: World-Wide

Question:
On which IBM hardware platforms will eSuite run or be bundled?

Answer:
eSuite Workplace will be available with IBM's Network Station Series 1000. It will be supported across all IBM server platforms supporting the IBM Network Station Series 1000. eSuite Desktop will be made available across the IBM Network Station family in the future release. AIX and Windows NT will be supported in the initial release and System 390 and AS/400 in the future.

Question:
Does eSuite have any synergies with IBM back-end services (i.e., DB2, MQseries) and/or mainframes?

Answer:
Yes, eSuite is an excellent front end for the Network Centric environment, pulling information from backend databases, many of which are IBM. By using the DevPack SQL/JDBC applet developers can create connections to a wide range of relational databases including IBM's DB2, Oracle, and Sybase products that will communicate through the InfoBus to the eSuite presentation components. Developers may also elect to work with the InfoBus SDK to generate additional data access components built with tools such as IBM's VisualAge for Java. Because all eSuite components provide InfoBus features, any new applet created with the industry standard specification will seamlessly integrate with the DevPack components.

Since the DevPack integrates easily into Domino applications, developers can also access corporate data that may reside in various formats including CICS and MQseries through products such as Domino.connect. Domino.connect provides an integrating highway based on a series of tools that operates through technologies such as MQ/Link and NotesPump to complement and enhance IT's existing investments.

Future versions of the DevPack will use technologies such as IIOP (Internet InterOrb Protocol, a standard from the Object management Group) and RMI (Remote method Invocation, from Sun) to access the Domino backend, thus triggering other actions which include accessing a DBMS. These new features will provide even greater flexibility and control for solutions that require enterprise data.

Question:
How do Lotus' eSuite offerings compare to/differ from what Corel, Oracle and others are promising with their Java direction?

Answer:
We are the first vendor to build and deliver a complete suite of business productivity components specifically for the networked computing environment. Unlike competitive offerings, eSuite offers an entirely new class of business productivity components built to the following design goals:

1. Cross Platform: Built in 100% pure Java, the components make wide-scale deployment easier and reduce development costs.
2. Compact: Designed for fast delivery via networks, the components are smaller and easier to manage centrally than traditional desktop applications.
3. Task-focused: Optimized for specific, focused business tasks, the components provide users with the functionality they use most often.
4. Modular: Customizable and expandable to fit specific IT and user needs, functionality can be added to the components as needed
5. Extensible: Unique technology enables the components to share data with one another , as well as access external data sources including the Internet and legacy data.
6. Programmable: Built with a complete set of properties and methods and programmable via standard Web scripting languages, developers can easily build interactive Web applications.
7. Easy-to-use: With an intuitive interface, the components are easy to work with and intended for a broad range of users.

Question:
How is eSuite different from Corel's abandoned Office for Java? Why did Corel fail?

Answer:
eSuite is a complete set of business productivity components, designed from the ground-up to be small, fast and focused Java applications that run on network computers. Corel's approach involved porting its existing multi-megabyte office suite into Java.

Question:
How does eSuite technology differ from Microsoft's proposed Java offerings?

Answer:
Microsoft has not announced a suite of business productivity software built in Java. Microsoft's strategy is for customers to deploy Windows everywhere, residing locally or served up via Citrix. This Microsoft solution is expensive and hard to maintain.

Question:
How does eSuite compare with Microsoft's WinFrame and Citrix technologies?

Answer:
eSuite is designed for cross-platform network-centric computing environments, where applications can be centrally managed and deployed. Microsoft's solution is not cross platform, it is not scaleable, and it is not easier to use. eSuite leverages the processing power of both the server and the network computer, whereas Microsoft's solution transforms computers into terminals, running completely from the server which ignores desktop processing and creates overall performance issues.

Question:
How does eSuite compare with remote UI Java solutions such as Applix Anyware, Corel Remagen , TopSpeed's Clarion Internet Edition and Star Office?

Answer:
While remoting the UI to the thin client environment is a good idea, it does not go far enough and does not take full advantage of the Java environment on the NC. We feel it is better from a scalability and usability standpoint to run the entire application on the thin client, which is what eSuite does. This provides a better story for future mobile Java solutions. Furthermore, the eSuite WorkPlace is a more general, task-centric user environment for thin client computing, providing for the management of multiple active tasks.

Question:
What types of companies/users do you see as the first adopters of eSuite WorkPlace technology?

Answer:
We envision that large companies who feel acute pain from the high cost of maintaining their current desktop computing environment will be among the initial adopters of the eSuite WorkPlace. As the benefits of thin clients and network computing become more evident, we expect that the market will broaden.

Question:
Who will use eSuite WorkPlace vs. who will use full suites?

Answer:
The eSuite WorkPlace is targeted at three primary users: 1) people who only use a small subset of the full feature set in SmartSuite or Office, 2) people who today have no access to computing resources because of cost (too expensive), and 3)people who are today on terminals. eSuite users are likely to be people who edit documents or who need more functionality than is currently available on their terminal. People who typically create complex documents, spreadsheets, databases and presentations (e.g., annual budget, marketing plan, product proposal) will continue to use SmartSuite.

Question:
Will customers be satisfied with eSuite performance?

Answer:
Yes. We are confident that users will be delighted with eSuite performance when it ships to customers. As is typical of new products prior to release, not all aspects of eSuite have been tuned in the versions that are being demonstrated today. An extensive performance analysis and tuning effort, as well as the excellent performance of features which have been tuned, gives us confidence that eSuite will deliver excellent performance. Indeed, we have seen good performance for eSuite functions such as the Workplace even when running on unoptimized Java Virtual Machines such as the one shipped with Sun's Java Development Kit (JDK). Performance is significantly better using the optimized JIT systems available to most users today, and we expect that performance will continue to improve as technologies such as JavaSoft's HotSpot become available in the future. Lotus realizes that performance is a key issue for customers and will continue to enhance eSuite performance over time. Performance is good now and will continue to get better.

Question:
So Java can deliver the performance required for real-world applications such as eSuite?

Answer:
Absolutely. eSuite lays to rest many of the questions raised by skeptics regarding Java's potential for implementing real-world applications. The functions provided by the eSuite Workplace and components are a sophisticated combination of operating system and GUI application functions: we have found Java performance to be more than adequate, and continuing to improve as more sophisticated JVM's become available. Furthermore, Java's power and portability have significantly reduced the effort that would otherwise have been required to build the products that we are announcing today. (If pressed: there are indeed certain kinds of software for which Java is not currently appropriate, just as there are still types of software which should be written in assembler language rather than C ... we believe that Java is useful today for a broad range of important software, such as eSuite, and Java's range will improve further in coming years.)

Question:
What's the size of the Workplace Desktop & how quickly does it load?

Answer:
The desktop itself is around 800K. Including all of the infrastructure classes, the total size is about 1.8MB. The speed of loading is dependent on many factors, including network speed and the speed of loading the underlying OS.

Question:
What are the system requirements for the eSuite Workplace?

Answer:
At minimum, both the client and the server require a 1.1.2 or greater JVM. Memory requirements will vary by the number of components that you want to run. It is our intention to have a configuration with a base set of components that runs in a 32MB Network Station.

Question:
Can I run the eSuite Workplace product on my low-end PC's?

Answer:
It is possible. However, given Java's current performance levels, we anticipate that customers will want to deploy eSuite Workplace on Pentium 66 class machines or higher in order to leverage these high performance capabilities with eSuite.

Question:
What do these announcements mean for the future of SmartSuite?

Answer:
It's important to note that eSuite is not a replacement for SmartSuite, nor are the two products mutually exclusive. SmartSuite is designed for users who create complex documents, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, etc., while eSuite is targeted toward users with different requirements. We will continue to offer and enhance SmartSuite for those users who require the full functionality of a suite; in fact, SmartSuite 98 (currently in development) is being designed to work with eSuite components (i.e., SmartSuite 98 will be able to serve as a "container" for eSuite components).

Question:
Will eSuite run on the Sun JavaOS?

Answer:
Yes, we are currently running WorkPlace on the Sun JavaOS in our development labs and expect the JavaOS to be a very strategic platform for eSuite in the future. We aren't making any formal announcements today about support or availability.

Question:
What benefits does eSuite portability provide?

Answer:
eSuite works identically on all platforms, because eSuite is the same on all platforms. Using the same components everywhere improves consistency for customers, significantly reduces application deployment costs for customers, reduces training costs for end users, guarantees compatible data interchange across platforms, and allows Lotus to support a broader range of platforms and customer environments than would otherwise be possible.

Question:
Are eSuite components JavaBeans?

Answer:
Yes, the eSuite productivity components such as spreadsheet, wp, chart, presentation graphics, and data access components are JavaBeans. This means that you can use them with Java builders such as Lotus Bean Machine, IBM's Visual Age, Borland's JBuilder, Symantec Visual Cafe, and many others. The leading vendors of Web browsers have all announced support for Java Beans embedded in Web applications ... eSuite components are also useable as Beans in Web pages. Note: some features required for Bean compatibility are still under development and cannot be demonstrated in the versions of eSuite that we are demonstrating today.

Question:
Are eSuite components Java applets?

Answer:
Yes, eSuite components are simultaneously applets and JavaBeans. Components were the original means provided for packaging Java code for use in Web pages, and all eSuite components are useable as components in any browser supporting JDK 1.1.2 or above. JavaBeans is the more general packaging of components for use with application builder tools and other modular component systems. eSuite components can be used as Beans too. In cases where browsers or builders support both components and Beans, users can choose to embed eSuite components using either technique.

Question:
What Internet standards does the eSuite WorkPlace support?

Answer:
The eSuite WorkPlace includes thin client components for access to standard internet servers.
The eSuite Spreadsheet produces and edits HTML files
The eSuite Address Book supports LDAP V2
The eSuite Calendar supports vCAL
The eSuite Presentation Graphics product
The eSuite Word Processor produces and edits HTML files.
The eSuite Mail supports either POP3/SMTP or IMAP4 post office servers
The eSuite Web browser supports HTML 3.2 and HTTP 1.1

Question:
What is the InfoBus?

Answer:
The InfoBus technology is a key element of Lotus' eSuite family. The InfoBus is an innovative specification for dynamically sharing data between multiple Java components in a Web page, without scripting. InfoBus technology can dramatically reduce the cost of deploying a complete database access application by allowing the application to be assembled using JavaBeans and InfoBus without any explicit programming.
Sun has recently agreed to include the specification in a future JDK making InfoBus an industry standard. This insures that any Java applet built to the design will integrate with the eSuite DevPack seamlessly and in a structured way.

Question:
Isn't that what JavaBeans does? Is the Infobus a competitor to JavaBeans?

Answer:
No, the JavaBeans specification allows one bean to access properties, methods, and events of another bean. The Infobus builds on the JavaBeans specification to allow large quantities of highly structured data to be shared between components.

Question:
Is the InfoBus a JavaBean?

Answer:
No, InfoBus is not packaged as a Bean. InfoBus is a facility for powerful and flexible interchange of data between beans to create a composite application. Expansion: The definition of what is a bean is usually given in terms of "does it live in a JAR file." By some minimal definition of a bean, InfoBus is packaged as a bean. But by most people's definition, a bean is something that would be instantiated as a component for reuse. By that definition, InfoBus is NOT a bean, because there is only an indirect way of instantiating one, and much of InfoBus is a protocol rather than core code.

Question:
Does InfoBus support JavaBeans?

Answer:
Yes. In fact, JavaSoft has selected Lotus InfoBus to be a key new feature of JavaBeans.

Question:
Does one have to know Java before using the Infobus?

Answer:
No. The eSuite DevPack allows web developers to use the Infobus features in the eSuite components with only a basic knowledge of HTML. However, to develop new Infobus enabled components, just as with any Java applet, a knowledge of the JDK is required.

Question:
Why didn't you emulate the Windows UI metaphor?

Answer:
We purposely wanted to make the desktop easier to use than Windows. The task switcher concept is easier for users to understand, especially out target market of transaction workers and general office workers.

Question:
What is the management story for the eSuite WorkPlace?

Answer:
From a WorkPlace perspective, we supply an administrative tool that manages users and the components and tasks.

Question:
Does eSuite WorkPlace provide a terminal emulation component?

Answer:
Yes. Lotus will provide a terminal emulator supplied by IBM called Host On Demand. This is a Java terminal emulator for 3270, 5250, and ASCII (VT-100). Some eSuite WorkPlace OEMs may choose to provide there own native terminal emulator as part of their offering. At this time, IBM NCD is planning to provide their own native terminal emulator as part of their package instead of the HOD emulator.

Question:
I want to build an app that runs on the NC. Is there an SDK?

Answer:
DevPack applications will run in the WorkPlace HotJava browser today. If desired, an administrator can configure the WorkPlace homepage to include an application icon that will launch a DevPack application. We are not announcing an eSuite WorkPlace SDK today. We are currently investigating the need to provide an SDK that would allow developers to create Java "applications" that will run from the WorkPlace.

Question:
Why didn't Lotus build the eSuite desktop in Dynamic HTML? Wouldn't that have been simpler?

Answer:
The eSuite desktop provides all sorts of functionality not enabled by DHTML, including task management, persistence, a clipboard, and so on. While some of the UI in the desktop is reminiscent of DHTML in fact the desktop is much more of an operating system UI than an animated Web page. The desktop is an operating system that runs on top of the JVM that provides: System Services for components, Registry Services, UI Services, File Manager, Memory Manager, Persistence.

Question:
If I already use an office suite, why would I want to buy eSuite?

Answer:
eSuite gives users a new option for their desktops. It's an alternative to a full-featured suite and additional tools to help users complete their projects.

Question:
How will eSuite work with existing office suite applications? What about file compatibility?

Answer:
eSuite will work with existing office suites. There will be file viewers and file import and file export capabilities. Given that eSuite is a thin client, and does not have the same functionality as full office suites, there will not be full compatibility between eSuite and existing office suites.

Question:
Can I import a Word Pro, Word (or other SmartSuite or Office) file?

Answer:
Lotus will be supplying a full set of filters and viewers in the first half of 1998. The filters actually run full Office applications on the server and export a eSuite-readable HTML file to the eSuite client. Lotus recognizes the need to be able to view and import information from Microsoft Office. We are working on the issue.

Question:
What support will Lotus provide to integrate the eSuite WorkPlace with Domino?

Answer:
Both the eSuite WorkPlace and Domino are based on Internet standards, allowing significant integration. Domino is an HTTP server for the eSuite Web browser, and an IMAP 4 or POP3 and LDAP V2 server for the eSuite mail and calendar components. Therefore Domino powered Web sites can be accessed through the WorkPlace, and mail accounts can be administered through the Domino mail server.

Question:
Are there plans for integrating the eSuite WorkPlace with Notes/Domino 5.0?

Answer:
Yes. There are many initiatives that tie together the eSuite WorkPlace and Notes/Domino 5.0. Lotus is very committed to embracing and optimizing around open, standard protocols. The eSuite WorkPlace and Notes/Domino interoperate over standard internet protocols and use standard Internet data formats. Notes/Domino 5.0 will support additional Internet standards. For example, Notes/Domino 5.0 will support HTML mail, which complements the direction of the eSuite Mail product.

Question:
How does Lotus Domino work with the InfoBus?

Answer:
Developers can access relational Notes data through the InfoBus by using the eSuite JDBC applet. In Domino Release 5.0 planned support will enable field level data exchange between Infobus enabled components and the Domino back-end store.

Question:
Is eSuite 100% Pure Java, or will you optimize for particular platforms?

Answer:
eSuite is 100% pure Java, and we expect to be certified as such by JavaSoft upon release. Running across multiple platforms is important to our customers.

Question:
When will your code be certified 100% Pure Java?

Answer:
Formal certification makes sense only when the final code for the initial release is frozen. With JavaSoft's cooperation, we have run the certification tests informally ourselves, and are confident that achieving formal certification will be straightforward when the final version of the code is frozen.

Question:
What does 100% Pure Java mean in practice? Where can I use the eSuite products?

Answer:
Running across multiple platforms is important to our customers, and eSuite delivers on the cross platform promise of Java. Because eSuite is written in Java, it runs on any platform supporting JDK 1.1.2 or greater The first package that we release integrates the productivity components, such as email and calendar, into the WorkPlace desktop for Network Computers. With the DevPack, the same components are repackaged for use in Internet applications targeting a broad range of browsers. Java's portability enables the same components to be used in all of these environments.

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	Document Category	eSuite
	Date Created	11-12-98
	Last Updated	18-05-99
	Revision Date	26-06-99
	Brand	IBM Network Station
	Product Family	Network Station
	Machine Type	8361, 8362
	Model	All
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