Notes from HCL (formerly from IBM, acquired by HCL in late 2018) is a collaboration platform based on the Lotus platform.
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Webex App
Score 8.2 out of 10
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The Webex App brings together Webex Calling, Meetings, and Messaging into a single application, fostering collaboration and unlocking more productive ways to work.
I often work with teams from other country and regions, hence HCL Notes is a very useful platform for internal company management operations. It standardized organisational work standards in most of the offices worldwide. HCL Notes also enables chat with other team around the world that I find very helpful when initiating conversation or just want to have a quick update rather than sending emails and waiting for replies. However, HCL Notes is not very efficient in web browsing and user still need to use other internet service providers.
The biggest use case I have for Webex is the public and private Spaces feature. It is so handy to have a single place where I can collaborate with team members on a single project. We can chat about new ideas and share files just on that specific project. That way I am not having to search email, or a Sharepoint site or a network drives for files. And I don't have to search through a separate chat log for ideas for this project. Add to that that I can use the Webex app on my PC, Mac, iphone and Android tablet and that makes it the killer app.
Notes' backwards compatibility sometimes gets in the way. Menus are cluttered with extraneous, outdated options and features that modern users will never use, and Preferences are often difficult to navigate for those coming from Gmail or Outlook. We have greatly simplified this via Policies, but users still find it daunting to go through all the options that are available.
The IBM Notes client for Windows & Mac is essentially the Eclipse Java development platform...so it is HUGE. Performance initially was very slow but IBM has done a good job of speeding things up. As IBM moves more toward cloud-delivered applications, this will not be as much of a problem.
Notes and Domino can be complex to manage for administrators who are more accustomed to ActiveDirectory, Group Policy, etc. Editing a notes.ini file to add a feature, or working with XML files by hand to create a SmartUpgrade kit can be daunting to those coming from more modern administrative roles.
Some users claim to "hate" Notes mail. While I have heard this less and less over the past 10 years, we have had 3rd party software offer plugins to Outlook and it's rare to see any for Notes.
The client update process should be automated more. I would like to see the Notes client update quietly and quickly more like an Adobe software update. If an update fails it should automatically try again without prompting the user over and over.
Notes multiple language spell checking is a downloaded add-on Java-based resource that has to be deployed in a convoluted way that is difficult for users to grasp. Therefore any foreign language spell check updates must be done individually per Notes client by IT, which is unfortunate. I would prefer to see that be a "live download" update option for users to get directly from IBM (don't make me download it and put it on my network).
I've been in IT business and as a Programmer/Developer for 20+ years with too many programming languages experiences/back ground (C/C++/Visual Basic/Basic Program/Unix/COBOL/Java). Also with 18+ years with Lotus Notes/IBM Domino, I am still and always think Lotus Notes is the best RAD platform available!. When the time where resource is very limited and the expectation is very high and the turn around is too short, IBM Domino/Notes is the platform to use and it's the only choice available.
I don’t have access to video features.) In an age when our smartphones do everything but call our friends, family, or clients, it’s refreshing to have a desktop app that can make calls in the smartphone’s place. It seems appropriate in a time when we’re all worried about the robots rising and taking over the world. Why not transfer the functionality of a telephone to the same computer where we program those world-dominating robots? It’s practical. Cisco Jabber takes the classic idea of making calls with a phone and puts it in the same place where we spend most of our worktime. This frees up desk space, as well as keeps the smartphone available for what it was invented to do: take Instagram photos. Not to mention, because it has its own number, it makes it easier to contact clients without having to give them your personal phone number. Need to make a call, but you don’t want to share your home phone? Cisco Jabber makes that easy. And best of all, because you call through your computer, all you need is a microphone to speak and speakers to listen, and you never have to pick up the phone at all. If you hate having sweaty ears, then Cisco Jabber is your app of choice. Note: Because I have access to phone features only, and Cisco Jabber has more available that I can’t use, I can see where it may also be a pro for business owners that Cisco apparently allows custom features availability for users, depending on roles.
Easy to use for the user, most of the apps we developed, there is not much need for user training. Most of the times, we just do a demo to the users group and they can pick up from there.
Webex is quite usable, and it is, in fact very easy to use as well. You don't need a lot of documentation to learn how to use the app as it's mostly self-explanatory. The user interface is easy on the eyes, and people can see buttons without issues. Overall, WebEx's front-end design is great and I don't have much issue with it.
I would say every time I open it, it is there, there are times that our users have to sign out and back in to get it to work or even do a full exit as the app will disconnect from the controlling the desk phone, but some easy steps to sign-out or fully exit the app gets the user back up and running quickly.
Software loads and runs well. I like the ability to run the full app version, or, just run through a browser using a lightweight webex experience. In a pinch, this ability has saved my bacon when I had to connect in an emergency on a borrowed phone or computer
I've been using the production for a very long time and very happy with it. Also, all the online resources and forums for notes is very friendly and easy/quick for getting help. I found out that compared to Microsoft or Oracle or any other platforms, IBM Notes online forum is the best I have seen.
The support team is quick in reverting to the issues faced, and it has multiple language support, which would be very helpful for some instances. Their expertise in resolving queries is instantaneous. Most of the common lags/issues in the application are identified and fixed with regular updates.
I am very satisfied with my experience with Webex App in online training. The creation of the event is very easy with the possibility of scheduling it in advance. The management of participants, organizers, and animators is complete. The invitations are automated and by simply using emails we can create all the schedules of the training session
Very easy to create. All operations are done without any problems with our business growth. All people like the experience including me as an instructor. The tools that WebEx App offers us are very complete for working in a virtual classroom, whether it is sharing the screen, the different display modes, the whiteboard, or even the scoring tools on the screen, it allows me to do my job as an instructor as if I was face to face with the participants.
Implementation is easy and smooth if the requirement is well gathered/documented. Notes is a RAD platform, all projects in Notes is simple in the implementation step.
There was quite a bit of back and forth with TAC and Cisco Reps to get it fully up and running but we did get there. Some of which had to do with documentation was not fully understandable. But with Cisco TAC we were able to get fully up and running.
Outlook has been considered for years as a replacement platform. Pricing and support staff made it prohibitive. Our long-time use of Microsoft Office productivity suite naturally led us to consider the adoption of Office365. A recent investigation told us that Azure Cloud services propel an O365 solution to the forefront. Early adopters in international divisions have paved the way for Azure and O365.
A lot of drops from calls/meetings frustrated me and my customers in some cases, but with Webex App, I see very less (or even null) drops, even when I am streaming HD content through my camera, even when I connected with the support team for other products for an explanation, they blame it on ISP even though my ISP gives around 200 Mbps speed, Webex App is miraculously never "affected" by ISP speed.
Once everything is in place on the back end getting Webex on a user's PC is now very easy and with single sign-on, users are able to sign in without having to remember another password. Just make sure you have all the user settings in CUCM, CUC set right, and that they have the needed licenses in Webex Control Hub.
Over the years, we have lost countless hours of productivity from the thousands of crashes we have experienced.
One benefit of IBM Notes is that it is very simple to train a new user on. Many people prefer and are familiar with Google tools, but those that use IBM Notes have very little trouble acclimating themselves.
Cisco Jabber helped us develop a Business Continuity Plan in case of emergencies.
It allowed our employees to answer their office-phones remotely.
It saved us a 10.000$ investment every 4 years on the desk phones for only the Turkey office, possibly much higher figures on the global scale of Hilti.
