Sametime
Sametime 8.5, has the instant meetings and Unified Communications features seen last year. Futures in Sametime include more in-house and cloud convergence. More mobile capability was promised, with Nokia and Blackberry being mentioned specifically. Sametime functionality is also expected to be embedded within other Lotus products -- and partner products -- to enrich the collaborative opportunities.

Of particular interest was the hint about real time translation --not only of Sametime chats but potentially even phone calls handled by Sametime!

We should see some of this in late 2010.

Connections
Connections 2.5 pushed forward in 2009 with the 2.5 release, and work now, for a release expected towards the end of 2010. Lotus is concentrating on making the social analytics we've already mentioned a reality, to help manage information overload and provide recommendations of what's of most interest.

Work is also being done on better handling of video content including automated transcription of the sound, on moderation of content, and on supporting compliance and regulatory needs. There are also plans, much needed in my mind, to give Connections simpler and better installation and management.

Quickr
Then there's a new release for Quickr, 8.5, coming in the middle of 2010.

The Quickr story is itself interesting. Personally I feel that having the two products, one on Domino and one on Websphere, with different capabilities, is confusing in the marketplace, and has some technical issues as well.

I discussed these with both Chris Lamb, who is the Connections Senior Market Manager and with Jelan Hiedelberg, who is Senior Offering Manager in this area, and there's interesting stuff afoot here.

Firstly, the reiteration that while the two products do cover the same ground, there are differences and those differences would appear to be more likely to widen than narrow over time -- which then, of course, begs the question of why continue to call them the same thing?

The Domino-based Quickr should become a better citizen on a Domino server, and allow you to use the server for other things, which currently you can't do. It is seen as the team collaborative platform of choice for customers who already have Domino, and who may not be Connections customers.

I asked why not make it a standard part of the Domino offering, and the answer there was that the investment so far and the planned investment meant that giving it away just doesn't make sense.

I guess there's the old saying that nobody greatly values anything that is free.