Lotus Development Corp has won its agreement with AT&T Co that potentially shoots its Notes groupware software onto a whole new commercial plane from which it could grow to eclipse the 1-2-3 spreadsheet as the Cambridge company’s most important product. AT&T will set up a service to be called AT&T Network Notes to provide businesses access to cost-effective, secure and reliable client-server computing over AT&T’s network without incurring the associated costs of supporting and staffing their own networks. The companies will accept early customer applications in the third quarter, and service will begin in 1995.AT&T Network Notes will allow users to communicate, work together and obtain information better than before by extending their electronic relationships beyond traditional company boundaries, the partners promised. The idea is that businesses will be able to create a new class of Notes-based applications to enhance information flow and electronic commerce among their business partners, customers and suppliers. AT&T Network Notes will connect to a wide range of directory and messaging services, including access to AT&T EasyLink Services electronic mail, and the Internet. There will be Network Notes development tools to enable third-party developers to create industry-specific and cross-business applications such as sales automation, virtual office, extended enterprise, and process re-engineering; services can be confined to closed user groups or broadly accessible by the public. AT&T plans to deploy Network Notes servers on its InterSpan Frame Relay Service to support dial-up and dedicated access from local networks and personal computers, and will market the service in the US and Canada and for global use by North American-headquartered multinationals. Lotus will offer a modified Notes client specifically designed for accessing Network Notes services, and as an upgrade option to the complete Notes product. Pricing for the service will include a combination of flat and usage fees.
