IBM Corp, through the Salutation Consortium – the group it started in 1995 to develop specifications for interconnecting the intelligence in office equipment (CI No 2,719), and for which it developed the Salutation Manager applications tool kit, – has released software to provide local and remote access to such devices via Lotus Notes and Domino. The company sees this as the first step in providing information access from handhelds, pagers, cellular and digital phones to Notes and Domino servers. It claims that IBM NuOffice, based on Salutation Manager, will give access to on-line copiers facsimile machines, and scanners, whether they are connected directly to a local Domino server, or remotely via mobile computing access technology. The package will enable Lotus users to input information into a Domino database from copiers, fax machines or scanners; send documents to any Salutation-enabled printing device; easily download device drivers from a Notes database, and receive notification by electronic mail when drivers are updated. Other members of the Consortium also made product announcements for Salutation-enabled devices: Canon Inc is releasing the Medio 30F Digital Copier; Mita Industrial Co Ltd has Fax Kit for Notes Version 1.0; Murata Machinery Ltd rolled out the F-120/150 Fax Server, and Ricoh Company Ltd has the Imago MF-P Series of digital copiers. All products, including NuOffice, are currently only available in Japan. There are plans for a US release of NuOffice later this year.
