The folks at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters decided to take a shot at IBM and announced new migration tools to help bring Lotus/Domino users over to the Office/Exchange side of the productivity world.
And just in time for Lotusphere 2006 in Orlando, too. How thoughtful of Microsoft.
Just in case anyone forgot the competitive nature of the tech industry, Microsoft’s statement announcing their utilities to help migrate firms using Lotus Notes/Domino arrived in inboxes just a few days ahead of Lotusphere’s opening in Orlando. Microsoft listed those tools in its statement:
These tools, which will be available for free download, include the Microsoft Application Analyzer 2006 for Lotus Domino, Microsoft Data Migrator 2006 for Lotus Domino, and new Windows SharePoint Services Application Templates. In addition, Microsoft announced the immediate availability of updated messaging and calendaring migration and coexistence tools, available now for free download, that include Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes/Domino, Exchange Calendar Connector for Lotus Notes/Domino and Migration Wizard for Lotus Notes/Domino.
Microsoft holds a dominant position in productivity and messaging in big businesses; the efforts being made here to bring in even more companies underscores Microsoft’s desire to widen its revenue stream and possibly nudge a moribund stock price that has been essentially flat for a few years.
Upgrading delays by existing customers presents an ongoing concern for Microsoft, as it aims to launch new versions of Office and Windows in 2006. If current businesses using either Windows or Office choose not to upgrade for a period of time, Microsoft suffers a loss of revenue.
An influx of new corporate users, preferably at the expense of a longtime rival, helps the Microsoft bottom line, and can enhance its perceived value on Wall Street. With that, the company could finally begin moving its stock price upward from its present range. That would make people from Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates on down to its staffers much happier, not to mention investors.
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David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
