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Architosh Staff ([email protected])
23 Oct 2002
 

Lotus founder developing Outlook alternative for OS X, Linux and Windows

According to a C/net story, Lotus founder Mitch Kapor, co-founder o Lotus Development, now a subsidiary of IBM, is developing an open-source Outlook (killer...perhaps?) alternative. Kapor, who is credited with developing the award-winning spreadsheet program from the 80's, Lotus 1-2-3, is heading the project via his San Francisco-based Open Source Application Foundation (OSAF), a nonprofit organization.

Could This Be The Next Outlook?

The new Outlook challenger will be a 'personal information manager' with many of the same features as Microsoft's dominant Outlook. However unlike many of the other PIM's out there this software will have a focus on helping people to work collaboratively in groups and share information. The software will incorporate Jabber, an open-source messaging system, as well as easy-to-use email encryption.

An early version of the software will be available for Mac OS X, Linux and Windows operating systems by the end of the year with a first release due near the end of next year (2003).

The Small Biz Market

Kapor is targeting the small business market and individual user who can't afford the license and maintenance costs of complex products like Microsoft Exchange, the server software required for the information-sharing features of Outlook, including email. Apparently Kapor hopes to target the small business user while avoiding the direct confrontation of Microsoft in the enterprise market. He contends its in the interest of providing more options for end users and not driven by the desire to harm Microsoft.

More information on the reasons by Kapor started the project can be found on the OSAF website and in the personal Weblog of Mitch.

Andy Hertzfeld, one of the original Macintosh programmers is actively helping with the project on a full-time basis. Additionally, the group is actively seeking any assistance to OSAF or this project, including donations of equipment or cash via Pay Pal.

To learn more visit OSAF on the Web or Mitch Kapor's Weblog.

Architosh Analysis: Although not in the habit of citing C/net stories, when we saw this we thought it would be remiss of us to not bring it to the Mac community's attention. This is exciting news! Mitch's superb experience as a software developer and executive makes this particular project more viable than other similar Outlook challengers, and with the inclusion of both Linux and OS X, in addition to Windows, makes the project that much more compelling. Mac users (AND developers) need to seriously rally behind this project.

In the long run, this could be the answer to many a Mac users' prayers, especially in the enterprise where Macs are shunned precisely because they don't fully support Outlook and Exchange. But that's because Gates doesn't want the threat of Macs in the enterprise and cripples the use of Macs with Outlook on purpose. An alternative that addresses 'a way towards Linux and OS X in the enterprise' is what is needed...and this is it.

Moreover, this project is looking at peer-to-peer technologies as the way to enable collaboration between users and their data. Could this be using Apple's new open-source Rendezvous...a technology built on open source to begin with? This aspect alone is exciting and if you have read the excellent interview piece on Apple at InfoWorld, you will hear Apple's Phil Schiller remark that today's computers are essentially powerful enough to fulfill the role of servers (thus eliminating dedicated ones) when using the right peer-to-peer technology.


 

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