Lotus Notes, a popular collaborative client-server software platform in the 90s and early 2000s, has a fascinating history. The product was inspired in the 1970s, developed in the 1980s, and is still available in certain markets today. Lotus Notes was the first of its kind and has inspired similar products that became the mainstream business solution software that many companies use today. Even though an updated version of Lotus Notes has been kept alive by a few different companies over the years (such as IBM), the time has come for organizations who used this revolutionary software to find an appropriate replacement.

What are Lotus Notes?

A Brief History of Lotus Notes

In the 1970s, David R. Woolley developed a system called PLATO Notes while at the University of Illinois. His work inspired the creation of Lotus Notes in 1989 by Ozzie and Iris Associates, which the newly formed Lotus Notes Corporation later acquired.

In the beginning, Lotus Notes was conceptualized to have document databases, email and contact information, and to host online discussions between multiple people. In 1989, the very first Lotus Notes product was released, containing numerous features:

• Ability to create emails, email users, and organized mailboxes
• Ability to receive email notifications
• Autocorrecting of misspellings
• Data import and export
• Encryption

In the following years, Lotus Notes continued to be released with new updates and abilities for organizations. As PC processing power increased in 1991, the second version of Lotus Notes was released and was targeted to large companies with many employees. Throughout the 90s, large organizations purchased the software. In 1995, IBM purchased Lotus Notes for $3.5 billion dollars.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Lotus Notes products continued to be enhanced with increased ability and updated user interface as technology advanced with businesses needing stronger, faster, and easier to use systems.

In 2018, IBM sold Lotus Notes to the Indian firm HCl for $1.8 billion dollars. The company has rebranded the product as “HCL Notes” and came out with an updated version in June of 2021.

Why Replace Lotus Notes?

Many Lotus Notes applications have reached the end of the line. In today’s fast and digitally-driven world, the Lotus Notes platform has simply been unable to keep up with the needs and demands of the many large-scale organizations across the globe. Finding a suitable replacement for Lotus Notes will position your company in a great place to reap the benefits of advanced technology and innovative solutions.

Another reason to find a Lotus Notes alternative is so your organization can move away from the platform’s complexity, which is not suited for every user. While it is hard to find an application that handles every little Lotus Notes capability, there are many well-established applications that companies use in conjunction to replace Lotus Notes’ functions.

RunMyProcess, a Lotus Notes Replacement Solution

If your company relies heavily on the processes and functions found in Lotus Notes, you risk losing your valuable workflows as this application’s ability is mitigated. The

RunMyProcess DigitalSuite

is the perfect Lotus Notes replacement solution, as it can replace all of your Notes-based applications in a secure, flexible, and cost-effective way.