IBM Lotus Sametime

Infobox_Software
name = IBM Lotus Sametime
developer = IBM
latest_release_version = 8.0.1
latest_release_date = May 2008
operating_system = Cross-platform
genre = Instant messaging, web conferencing, unified communications
license = Proprietary
website = [http://www-306.ibm.com/software/lotus/sametime/ Product Home page]


caption = IBM Lotus Sametime chatwindow

IBM Lotus Sametime is an enterprise instant messaging and web conferencing application sold by the Lotus Software division of IBM. Lotus Sametime provides enterprise instant messaging functionality, presence information, and web conferencing. It offers support for communications standards and standard protocols, including Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), SIMPLE, T.120, XMPP, and H.323. Lotus Sametime also integrates with Lotus Notes and Microsoft Office.Citation | last = LaMonica | first = Martin | title = IBM ties Sametime IM to Office | publisher = CNET News | date = 2006-06-06 | url = http://www.news.com/Lotus-touts-real-time-products/2100-1091_3-217996.html | accessdate = 2008-03-10] The consulting company Frost & Sullivan named IBM Lotus Sametime as the 2008 North American Enterprise Product of the Year. [cite press release | title = Frost & Sullivan Awards Excellence in Information & Communication Technologies | publisher = Frost & Sullivan | date = 2008-02-25 | url = http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release.pag?docid=122334117 | accessdate = 2008-03-10] [cite press release | title = Lotus Sametime Celebrates 10th Anniversary With Industry Accolades | publisher = IBM | date = 2008-03-07 | url = http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0372235.htm | accessdate = 2008-03-10]

The product was originally the synthesis of technologies IBM acquired from two companies: the first, an American company called Databeam, provided the architecture to host T.120 dataconferencing (for web messaging) and H.323 Multi-Media Conferencing; the second was Ubique, an Israeli company whose software technology provided the "presence awareness" functionality that allows people to detect which of their contacts are online and available for messaging or conferencing. [Citation | last = Luening | first = Erich | title = Lotus touts real-time products | publisher = CNET News | date = 1998-11-16 | url = http://www.news.com/Lotus-touts-real-time-products/2100-1091_3-217996.html | accessdate = 2008-03-10]

Lotus Sametime client software is available for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Apple Macintosh. The Lotus Sametime server runs on Microsoft Windows, IBM AIX, i5/OS, Linux and Solaris. Lotus Sametime software is included in the "Open Referent" systems sold in Eastern Europe and Russia by Vienna-based VDEL and Poland-based LX Polska that are "Microsoft-free". [Citation | last = Broersma | first = Matthew | title = IBM Brings 'Microsoft-free' PCs to Europe | publisher = PC World | date = 2008-03-07 | year = 2008 | url = http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,143233-c,systems/article.html | accessdate = 2008-03-10]

One of the features is IBM Lotus Sametime Gateway, which adds support for communication with users of AOL, Yahoo, Google Talk and various XMPP based Jabber communities. Lotus Sametime is built on the Eclipse platform, allowing developers familiar with the framework to easily write plug-ins for Lotus Sametime.

ee also

*Pidgin - A multiplatform Lotus Sametime capable IM client
*Miranda IM - A Lotus Sametime capable client for Windows
*Kopete - A Lotus Sametime capable client for KDE
*Adium - A Lotus Sametime capable IM client for Mac OS X

External links

* [http://www.ibm.com/software/lotus/sametime/ IBM Lotus Sametime product home page]

References