@Remember(Lotus Foundations > Domino + Linux)

I've had a few requests for technical pointers over the last couple of weeks from people setting up their first Foundations server and there has been a common thread to all of these emails. Most of the people have been (more or less) experienced Domino Administrators who have looked on the Foundations environment as a cut-down SUSE Linux installation with a few extra bells and whistles, and they have been baffled by Foundations' refusal to respond positively to some standard Domino server commands. I went through some similar frustrating experiences for a while early last year until the penny dropped. I'd say it happens to everyone who has the "benefit" of already being a trained Domino Systems Administrator when they first install Lotus Foundations.

It doesn't work that way. Domino has been tailored to fit the Foundations environment. The two products are tightly bound together and you need to Read The Friendly Manual before you dive into administering Domino on a Foundations server. If you read far enough into the manual you'll probably find that your Domino administration tasks are already being done for you automatically by Lotus Foundations Server.

Just to clarify myself here: I don't mind getting these emails and giving a hand where I can - just one way of paying my dues to the Lotus community.
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Lotus Foundations in the Australian Press again.

ZDNet Australia has published a review of Lotus Foundations Server performed by Enex TestLab.

Foundations should not be considered just for the IT challenged. Foundations is a great solution for a wide range of businesses because it takes away the need for an on-site IT guru; not every business is an IT firm. This software is about minimising management overheads so staff can get on with core business activities.
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Its pricing is also a pleasant surprise: the server software licence is only AU$368.91, this includes an operating system and a full suite of security and management programs; and client licences are AU$240.03 per user. The low server licence fee makes this system particularly attractive for use in small deployments with only a dozen or two dozen clients where the price of server overheads make a real difference per user.

The only thing I would have changed in their review would be to add a paragraph at the bottom telling everyone how to contact me when they want to place an order :)
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Domino Double Certifications - Jack of All Trades and Master of None ?

I had an interesting chat with a colleague last week regarding the evolution of consulting roles in the Notes industry. In the 'Good Old Days' (TM) of Notes Release 1 through R4 every man and his dog was both a System Administrator and an Application Developer. Perhaps they were better at one side than the other but you could have a chat with everyone you met at Lotussphere without encountering too many blank looks.

R5 through R7 drove a wedge through the tribe and split it into two separate camps - not quite as bad as the Hatfields and the McCoys but it suddenly seemed acceptable to wear only one hat and to plead ignorance as to what the other tribe was doing.

At the risk of becoming a "Jack of All Trades and Master of None", some of us have kept a foot in both camps by maintaining certifications in both System Administration and Application Development, but I'm wondering how long that can go on. I'm just about to embark on a one-week intensive e-learning experience with X-Pages to prepare me for my R8.5 App Dev upgrade exam followed later by a similar effort for the R8.5 Sys Admin upgrade. My point is that the Notes/Domino environment is just so d@mn big these days that no-one can hope to know it all.

I'm interested in hearing what other people's approach is to certification. Is it worth the effort to maintain a double certification? I see it as a good personal benchmark but do customers really care about such things?
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Another way to help IBM/Lotus help you...

In the past month I've put two IT consulting companies in touch with people I know at IBM with a suggestion that they create (or, in one case, recreate) a Business Partner relationship with Big Blue/Yellow. At first glance you may think I'm cutting my own throat here by creating more competition for myself but I see it quite differently.

First, these consulting companies are already in friendly competition with me for IBM/Lotus consulting business. Nothing will change there simply because they become an IBM/Lotus Business Partner.

Second, I specialize with a particular part of the IBM/Lotus product range as do they... and there's plenty of room for us all to exercise our specialties without treading on each others toes.

Third, IBM/Lotus always needs new Business Partners. This is just a favor that I can do for IBM/Lotus as a sign that I am dedicated to the success of their company. I don't expect them to thank me (which they did) or deluge me with a thousand new leads in return (which they didn't), but if you keep telling your Partner that you love them and you keep giving them these little tokens of your affection then maybe your relationship with them will get that little bit stronger and they will wind up inviting you on a few of their client calls.

Do unto others...
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Lotus Foundations Server featured in the regular Press

After a wait that seemed like a year (but was really only twelve months) the Lotus Foundations Server bandwagon is starting to roll in Australia. "The Australian" is the more business-oriented of the big three daily newspapers in Australia, and today they had an article on how a SMB called EPSI invested in Lotus Foundations server.




The next step is to get a copy of that newspaper into every SMB in Australia.
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