Go to the Lotus home page, or the Sphere web page at http://www-142.ibm.com/software/sw-lotus/events/govfor.nsf/wdocs/ls2007home.

What's really pretty amazing is that there's expectation that people will sign up even though there is practically no detail at all about the conference. All that's available is a summary of the tracks that will be offered, and that summary is pretty much the same as last year.

But this is Lotusphere, Lotusphere 14, in fact. Anyone who has been to any of the last 13 knows exactly what it's all about and how it works, and I don't expect that the overall flavour of the show will be hugely different. But in terms of product buzz, this one may be going to be rather a cracker.

Sametime 7.5 has just become available, so there will be plenty of that on show. Notes/Domino 7.0.2, previewed last year, should have been shipping for a few months, so there will be lots on that too. The Linux Notes client. And of course Hannover will, by then, be just over the horizon, so there will be loads of that too. And there'll be Activity Explorer, more Workplace stuff, and so on.

There's going to be more to Lotusphere itself, too, according to Sandra Marcus. Read ine interview that's linked off the Sphere homepage. Commenting on the Sunday Jumpstarts, she says that Sunday will be more formally part of the Sphere, to give more time for hands-on sessions. The formal show opener will still be on Monday, but what that means is that an arrival on Orlando on the Saturday is now pretty much mandatory to get to see as much as you can.

Bob Balaban, writing on Rocky Oliver's blog, says that, as Jumpstart track manager, he's trying to widen the scope of the track and get some sessions on "big technology overviews, or surveys of various aspects of the technology (and especially of the collaboration) marketplace." Sandra also says that these sessions may well run during the week too, which means that the Sphere will be back at the Yacht & Beach this time. Strong shoes are indicated, for that means even more walking between sessions.

So the buzz has started. Five months to go. The buzz will need a little effort to keep it going. Rocky Oliver has started Lotusphere Fridays on his blog. A discussion each Friday of a topic related to Lotusphere. Check that out, and keep checking it out.