Global System Services Corporation (GSS) - The leading provider of email and messaging, directory services, and groupware consulting and professional services

I've formatted your questions in a standard Q&A format:

Q: We are upgrading to Novell IntraNetware soon, how does this affect our decision?

A: Upgrading your servers to IntraNetware has no impact on your file sharing-based cc:Mail environment. However, if you have a commitment to Intranet technology you may want to do away with the traditional cc:Mail desktop and run web browsers against the cc:Mail back-end via cc:Web (see my article in the February, 1997, "Insider for cc:Mail").

Q: What are the pros and cons of upgrading to DB8?

A: DB8 gives you online maintenance and the advanced capabilities of cc:Mail R7. The DB8 database requires more disk space but 2 times the disk space is no longer required for maintenance. The performance characteristics of the DB8 database make it better than DB6 for large numbers of users, and its improved efficiency in allocating space for message data makes it better suited to high-volume environments. Older versions of the cc:Mail database and the products that run on them are legacy products. Moving forward, newer products such as Link to SMTP 3.0 will only work with DB8.

Q: Should we bother upgrading since DB6 works fine?

A: This depends upon your own requirements. If shutting down the e-mail system for maintenance is acceptable; if you do not require any new capabilities; if you have a relatively small number of users, then you have no compelling reason to upgrade. Most Lotus cc:Mail customers will upgrade.

Q: Should we go with the NT SMTP or get 3rd party software for MIME?

A: Link to SMTP 3.0 should be the most economical solution for Lotus cc:Mail customers that already own Link to SMTP 2.x. However, alternatives like IMA Internet Exchange with its superior feature set, offer customers a viable alternative.

Q: Does Lotus plan on fixing the cc:Web attachment problem? Should we buy Netscape Enterprise or something else?

A: cc:Mail for World Wide Web version 1.1 supports file attachments.

Q: Does DB8 or IntraNetware provide better mailing lists?

A: For reasons of downward compatibility, products that run on DB8 do not remove the limitation of 4K or 200 users per mailing list. However, there are no limitations within the DB8 database. There have been and remain several possible solutions to the mailing
list issue. The solutions are either message routing methods or 3rd party products. The routing methods include:

1. Bankshot Addressing: This method uses distributed lists, 1 per post office, and a centralized list containing the names of the distributed lists.

2. Ricochet Routing: Developed at Lotus cc:Mail by Ron Herardian, this method centralizes lists and delivers messages to the sequentially.

3. Long Chain Routing: This method chains distributed lists delivering messages sequentially to a series of post offices.

Additionally, there are 3rd party products that can be used to address messages to large numbers of users. The most popular of these is Tristero from Rhizomatics. Shareware distributions of Tristero can be downloaded from the Compuserve LOTUSM forum.

Tristero is distributed by Lloyd McKenzie in England, Johnson Consulting in the U.S., and SCS Telemedia in Switzerland.