Lotus Development Corp. has announced the release of the first public beta test version of the next release of Notes, Domino, and Domino Designer. Though most of the new Lotus software versions are for the PC, a new version of Lotus’ Mac Notes client is also available for testing. Lotus is calling the new release “Rnext.”
Lotus is hoping the early public beta test will lead to higher quality finished products in the long run. The company said that it plans an extensive beta test program, to enable users to influence the final product design, and to help IT managers plan for enterprise-wide upgrades. Lotus Executive Vice President Jeanette Horan echoed these sentiments.
“Notes and Domino is the world’s number one messaging and collaboration platform, and Lotus is committed to providing our customers with the highest quality products. Our continuing mission is to ensure that our customers and partners feel confident in their Lotus investment, so we’ve designed an extensive beta testing program that will not only allow our customers to get an early look at Rnext, but will also allow Lotus to incorporate massive amounts of customer feedback into the final product,” said Horan.
Users interested in participating in the public beta test are encouraged to visit the Rnext Web site for more information. A beta version of Domino server is currently available for various flavors of Windows, Linux, and UNIX-derived platforms (other versions will be added in future beta releases); Domino Designer beta is available for Win32-base platforms; and Notes client beta is available for Mac OS and Windows.