I was discussing the integrated IM client
with a site that had it deployed recently.  To be honest, they are
completely raving about the product.  The users love Lotus Notes now.
 As per usual, there were company grumblings of how rubbish this Lotus
Notes thing is, compared to their Outlook client at home.  Now they
have ND6 and Single Sign on to Sametime, it has added a completely new
aspect to the product.   Next stop is adding the IM functionality
to their apps…..

As a slight criticism,  it was
pointed out that the UI of the sametime client is quite poor compared to
the UI of the public products.  Lotus (as ever) have put in extensive
work into the back end, security, interoperability and standards based
products, and it would be a shame for the front end to let them down.  Microsoft
have a fabulous habit of concentrating on the excellent front ends they
provide, but with a poor back end running it (lets not get started about
standards!!).  I agreed that the ST client, even the built in one,
could do with a bit of a reshape.  But then again, maybe that isn’t
where the product is going.  As IM "integrates" with Lotus
Notes, and any other application, there will eventually be no "client"
for sametime.  It will just be part of every other application.  This
is where IM is going on the desktop, and I welcome it.  But then again,
users will always have a buddy list…. and no doubt that is where M$ are
going to spend time on the look.