Just keep using your IBM Collaboration Solutions software as usual and keep up your relationship with IBM or your IBM business partner as you always have. It’s business as usual.
As an IBM champion with several customers using collaborative software from IBM, as well as being the leader of the Norwegian usergroup (ISBG), I’ve been asked by many people about what the deal between IBM and HCL will mean for them as customers.
So here’s a little FAQ:
Will the Norwegian usergroup change its name from IBM Collaboration Software Usergroup to HCL Collaboration Software Usergroup?
No. Until further notice, we will continue to be ISBG. The deal between IBM and HCL will not go into force before July in 2019. Until then we will continue to our productive cooperation with IBM as usual, until we are told otherwise.
Should I leave Notes and Domino, Connections, Sametime or other ICS tools behind and start using software from competing vendors?
I can see absolutely no reason to do such a thing. In fact, I would say quite the opposite. HCL has shown that they keep their promises when it comes to further development of Domino, and they have even grander plans for the future of the platform.
If they take this approach to the other ICS products that they also have bought now, we can look forward to an even bigger rush of activity for the products we love. Remember, it’s been almost a decade since the last time there was so much activity for the ICS portfolio as it is now.
As a customer, how will this affect me?
It shouldn’t really affect you much. All deals, licenses and products will continue to run as before. So if you are considering whether to to do that big license renewal or not, there’s no reason for you not to. Just keep in touch with either IBM or your IBM partner as you always have, and continue to do business as usual.
I’m an IBM partner, how will this affect me?
Thus far you should just continue working as you normally would. IBM has promised that partners will get the information they need, and it’s still over seven months until the handover of the ICS portfolio.
Isn’t this just the final death knell for the ICS portfolio?
Acquisitions, buyouts and mergers like this happens all the time with tine IT industry and corporate world. Us old timers in the Domino community have experienced this before as well. Nobody will wave a magic wand next year, and then we wake up the next day and everything will look different. It will be a transitional period. Just look at the IBM-Lenovo deal a few years back. That went just fine.
Remember, HCL wouldn’t buy this portfolio for $1.8 billion if they were planning to shut it down. They have long term plans!
I think 2019 will be very exciting. So, stay with us, or better: Join us if you haven’t already!