Users who have been anticipating Release 5.0 of Lotus Notes and Domino next quarter won't be disappointed, despite a delay in the public beta version, company officials said.
Lotus has posted on its World Wide Web site the first public beta of Release 5.0 of its Lotus Notes collaboration software, Domino server and Domino Designer development environment. The beta versions are at www.lotus.com/r5preview/.
The public beta of Notes 5.0 was originally due at the end of last month but was delayed a few weeks. Officials and users at that time said they weren't sure if the delay would keep Lotus from meeting its fourth-quarter shipping target.
But a Lotus spokesperson said they are confident the product will ship late in the fourth quarter. Pricing will be announced then.
Product designers took the extra time to tweak the messaging software's new user interface, which boasts a browser look and feel, a spokesperson said.
Among the new features in Notes 5.0 and Domino 5.0 are enhanced navigation, including window tabs that will make it easier for users to find frequently used information.
