Lotus Development Corp is said to have pulled the plug on its eSuite applications set, according to unconfirmed reports, because of poor sales of both Network Computers and client-side Java. The 100-strong development team is likely to be redeployed elsewhere within the company. ESuite included the Workplace office applications and a software development kit. A spokesperson from Lotus refused to comment on the reports of the product’s imminent demise, but would give no details of future plans for the software.
The first version of eSuite, written in 100% Java, wasn’t successful and was never fully released. It even became one of Microsoft Corp’s stock examples of Java’s technical shortcomings, and was mentioned several times in the Microsoft anti-trust trial in Washington. Lotus apparently used Microsoft J-Direct and Keywords Java tools in order to optimize the technology to run more efficiently – and only – on Windows-based PCs.
That was version 1.5. But by the time the first fully viable release, version 2.0, became available in May, including integration with Notes 5.0 and better server support, it was too late, and customers had lost patience. IBM Corp may be able to salvage some of the technology for use in its WebSphere web server product line.
