Microsoft Corp and Lotus Development Corp have teamed up in a software integration deal which will see Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 4.0 being added to the Lotus Notes 4.6 client package and the forthcoming release of Lotus’ desktop applications, SmartSuite. There are also plans for Lotus to ship Internet Explorer with some of its more ‘strategic’ product offerings. Lotus currently has agreements to bundle its products with both Microsoft and Netscape Communications Corp, but they are due to expire in September. It brings to mind the question of Netscape. It’s no secret that Netscape hasn’t exactly been seeing eye to eye with Lotus of late, and earlier in the year Netscape refused to license its Navigator 4.0 Web browser for inclusion with Lotus Notes (CI No 3,165). Lotus has said the agreement between itself and Microsoft is not exclusive and the company is currently in negotiations with Netscape at the moment. Lotus executive Jim Moffat said of the agreement: It doesn’t rule out anything else, all things are still possible. It won’t prevent anyone from using Navigator or Communicator with any of our products.
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