Similar to groupware, knowledge management is a general term referring to a number of different applications exploiting different technologies. However, unlike traditional collaborative computing applications, knowledge management focuses on collecting, processing, managing and distributing corporate information, including information about business processes. In practice, this isn t different from the kinds of Notes applications that existed under the business process reengineering mode of groupware. Instead, knowledge management seeks to model, capture and automate existing business information and processes. Regardless of how well Domino fares in the Web arena, there will be a place for it in knowledge management partly because of Domino s strength in the workflow area.
Domino currently occupies at least four distinct market positions.
This can make Domino difficult to define, and it can be difficult for customers to understand what it is and how they can benefit from it. The installed base of Lotus Notes and Domino is growing and its rapid evolution towards Internet standards-based technologies, both on the client side and as a development platform, promises to make it more powerful, scaleable, flexible, accessible and extensible in the future. The primary market for Lotus Notes and Domino remains in providing integrated IT infrastructures on corporate networks. There is an opportunity for small and medium-sized companies to benefit from Lotus Notes and Domino but, contrary to the enthusiasm Lotus has expressed to its business partners in this area, this opportunity for groupware will not grow as rapidly as the market segment. Of course this is not true across all industries.