Lotus Development Corp will this week announce Notes for Unix, claiming that its workgroup software is one of the key applications Unix has been missing: it was previewed at UniForum last week. The new product, based on Notes 3.0, will enable Unix users to communicate, share information and develop applications with users of OS/2, Windows and now also Macintosh versions of Lotus Notes. Unix versions for Sparc, Precision Architecture, Rios Power RISC and Santa Cruz Operation Inc Unix on iAPX-86 are due in the second half of the year. The Santa Cruz version will run under Open Desktop, the Sparc version under both Motif and Open Look, and the others under Motif. Lotus is also expected to streamline its Notes pricing, making it uniform across all systems, and comprehensible as far as multiple licences go. As we went to press, pricing had not been fixed, but it should be personal computer-style – that’s currently $600. The company has lined up US distributors Merisel Inc, Ingram Micro Inc and Scan Graphics Inc to sell the products, and will back away from direct sales, it promises. Lotus also expects to publish the application programming interface for Notes to encourage software development. Notes Release 3.0 includes the Object Linking and Embedding-like LEL Link Embedded and Launch-to-edit facility. Despite some rave reviews, Notes, which Lotus characterises as an enterprise but with a long sales cycle, has not been a runaway best-seller for the Cambridge company. There are between 300,000 and 400,000 personal computer versions out there, tiny numbers for a Lotus, even though personal computer networks have been selling like hot cakes.
