Lotus officials say they expect Instan t Teamroom to succeed where Network Notes failed because it will be available from multiple sources and will not require any special software on the client. Furthermore, they claim that the role of groupware in organizations is more clearly defined today. Trend setting Instant Teamroom is among the first of what promises to be numerous rentable applications. Changepoint is marketing the interface that makes application renting on Domino possible for ISPs and other organizations. Company officials admit they are in talks to bring the technology to Netscape Communications Corp. and Microsoft Corp. groupware platforms.
Market forces are clearly behind the push.
For ISPs, the emergence of these rental applications could be an important differentiating feature. Sometimes even a few weeks is too long to wait. Some customers aren't even waiting that long. Development Alternatives International Inc., a Bethesda, Md., management consultancy with about 250 users worldwide, has already started using Instant Teamroom. By offloading application chores to Interliant, Koskinen said he has drastically cut the cost of supporting mobile users and given them the ability to assemble consulting teams in just a few hours.