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Civility in critiquing the ideas of others is no vice. Rudeness in defending your own ideas is no virtue.


Fri 28 Dec 2018, 10:25 AM
In the technology world, we tend to look at levels of adoption of new versions as some sort of important indicator of success. If a company releases a new version and customers are slow to adopt it, that is seen as bad. But depending on how the licensing works, it may or may not matter a lot to the software company. Aside from the extremes of 100% adoption (which means you can retire support for the old versiopn) or 0% adoption (which means you have stumbled badly somehow and may not keep customers for long), some number in the middle is almost as good as another.
 
Chart showing Android version adoption rates, stripped of all context because... does it matter?
 
 
So, what about Notes/Domino? I know customers who are on 7.x, 8.5x, 9.x, and a very few who have started using 10.x. Even leaving aside the revenue from licensing, I know that the release of Notes/Domino 10 will enable some to stay on Notes/Domino 9 longer, as they know IBM/HCL (and soon HCL alone) will continue support. They may not move to ND 10 for a couple of years, or may skip it and move to ND 11 when that is released. (I know one customer that is moving from ND 7 to ND 10 in the next few months.) 
 
So, how much does the rate of adoption matter? Obviously, companies can't take advantage of new features and technologies, but businesses move slowly anyway. With luck (and good marketing), new companies may start using Notes. But does it matter if existing users move forward quickly? What is your opinion?
 

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Sun 23 Dec 2018, 04:43 PM
First, I want to thank IBM for the opportunity to be an IBM Champion in 2018. I've been curious about the program for a while, and I have a lot of good friends who have been champions for a long time, aand a few who are lifetime champions. That said, it hasn't been a particularly comfortable fit for me. I haven't had a single customer or potential customer comment on it in a positive way, and I've had three comment on it negatively, as it makes them think I am less impartial. I also find it a little hard to champion some of IBM's choices and decisions, though I am very pleased with their decision to bring on HCL to breathe new life into some of the products. That was smart.

I hesitated and hesitated about even trying again this year, but I thought I'd give it another try, Unfortunately, after the application, the further sale of Notes/Domino to HCL was announced, which looks like it will remove what little purpose there is for me to be a champion. So, while it never feels great when people turn you down, I was a little relieved to receive a letter saying that 2018 would be my only year as an IBM Champion.

So, congrats to all the champions, and may it serve your needs perfectly in the coming year. I'm going back to the sidelines. I'm glad I got a chance to see how it felt, and also glad it was just a temporary thing. My goals for 2019 have less and less to do with IBM, though they may have more to do with HCL.

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Copyright © 2018 Genii Software Ltd.