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HCL Notes, used by users worldwide, has a wide range of use cases that cater to various functions within an organization. Users rely on …
Overview
What is HCL Notes?
Notes from HCL (formerly from IBM, acquired by HCL in late 2018) is a collaboration platform based on the Lotus platform.
Recent Reviews
Popular Features
- Notifications (10)9.090%
- Mobile Access (10)8.080%
- Task Management (9)7.070%
- Chat (10)6.060%
Pricing
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What is HCL Notes?
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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Product Demos
How To View Emails as Conversations and Original Message in HCL Notes
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05 NCUG Spring Seminar 2021 - DOMI: Create meetings in HCL Notes for Teams, Zoom, WebEx and Sametime
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What is HCL Notes?
HCL Notes Competitors
HCL Notes Technical Details
| Operating Systems | Unspecified |
|---|---|
| Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
Notes from HCL (formerly from IBM, acquired by HCL in late 2018) is a collaboration platform based on the Lotus platform.
Reviewers rate Internal knowledgebase and Integrates with GoToMeeting and Integrates with Outlook highest, with a score of 10.
The most common users of HCL Notes are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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(92)
Community Insights
TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!
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HCL Notes, used by users worldwide, has a wide range of use cases that cater to various functions within an organization. Users rely on HCL Notes for essential tasks such as managing emails, sending meeting invites, booking meeting rooms, accessing the company intranet, and sharing templates. The platform also serves as a reliable tool for leave management, notebook entry, creating to-do lists, and raising IT issues. With these diverse functionalities, HCL Notes standardizes processes across regions, facilitating fast and efficient global communication within the company.
Internally developed Lotus Notes databases are widely utilized for storing infrastructure inventory, workflows, work queue for builds and audits. These databases are often integrated with ERP and ticketing systems, providing seamless integration with existing tools. Moreover, the robust workflow capabilities of HCL Notes have allowed organizations to replace paper-based approval systems with secure digital workflows that offer an audit trail and enhanced security.
Furthermore, HCL Notes is increasingly being used on mobile devices, with about a third of the organization utilizing its mail, calendar, and contacts features on their smartphones or tablets. It serves as a central hub for collaboration with its sidebar app for Sametime providing chat functionality, presence awareness, web meetings, audio/video conferencing. In addition to its collaborative features, HCL Notes also functions as a development platform where users can create departmental and multi-departmental apps that integrate seamlessly with various databases and platforms.
Notes is highly regarded for its quick development capabilities and easy integration with new releases. Its versatility extends beyond email and calendar functions; it serves as a reliable CRM system integrated with back-end accounting systems in some organizations. By leveraging HCL Notes' document management capabilities and internal workflow features, users can maintain an organized repository of client-specific details while saving time navigating through relevant information. The platform's user-friendly experience enables users to access critical data easily while enjoying enhanced security measures.
Overall, HCL Notes has proven to be a vital tool for organizations, offering a wide range of use cases and functionalities. Its seamless integration with existing systems, robust workflow capabilities, and mobile accessibility make it an indispensable asset for efficient communication, collaboration, and data management.
Seamless Integration: Users have found that HCL Notes can be easily integrated with other software platforms, such as Sametime chat, Concur, and Productivity Management System. This integration allows for seamless communication and access to various tools and resources.
Efficient Calendar Management: The calendar management feature in HCL Notes is highly praised by users. Once they accept a meeting invite, their calendar is automatically updated, and they can easily view all their meetings for the day or week. Additionally, users can book meeting rooms, and the availability of these rooms is visible to all employees, making it convenient for planning meetings.
Robust Database and Custom Applications: Users commend the strong database of HCL Notes which is extremely scalable and can handle thousands of users effectively. They also appreciate the enterprise-grade framework for developing custom database applications in HCL Notes. This simplicity of access makes it convenient for users while reducing administrative burdens.
Slow web browsing capabilities: Some users have experienced slow web browsing capabilities in HCL Notes, with extended connection and loading times for web content. Users have mentioned that links shared in HCL Notes emails often fail to connect and sometimes the web content is not visible, requiring them to manually copy and paste the link in another browser.
Unappealing user interface: Less tech-savvy users and new users have expressed their dissatisfaction with the unappealing user interface of HCL Notes. It is suggested that improvements should be made to make it more visually appealing and user-friendly.
Backward compatibility issues: The backward compatibility of HCL Notes can be problematic at times, causing cluttered menus and outdated options that are not commonly used by modern users. Navigating preferences can also be challenging for those transitioning from other email platforms like Gmail or Outlook.
Based on user reviews, there are three common recommendations for IBM Notes:
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Consider other software options before committing to IBM Notes. Many users suggest exploring alternatives such as Microsoft Outlook or Google software before deciding on IBM Notes. They believe that these platforms provide better user interfaces, more features, and a more modern experience.
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Use IBM Notes only if there is a need for custom databases. Some users recommend using IBM Notes specifically for its ability to build custom databases that integrate with the email system. They believe that this feature sets it apart from other email platforms.
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Keep options open and explore different solutions. Several reviewers advise against relying solely on IBM Notes and encourage keeping options open by not getting locked into a single vendor's proprietary software. They suggest considering different platforms and not being hesitant to migrate to a different solution if needed.
Overall, while some users appreciate IBM Notes for its secure email services and custom database capabilities, many recommend looking at other software options with better user interfaces and more features before committing to the platform.
Attribute Ratings
Reviews
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December 19, 2022
HCL
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
HCL Notes provides business collaboration functions, such as email, calendars, to-do lists, contact management, discussion forums, file sharing, websites, instant messaging, blogs, document libraries, user directories, and custom applications. It can also be used with other HCL Domino applications and databases. I particularly use it for email, calendars, and to-do lists. It helps me to be more organized and save time by making everything stay at on place with easy access and user-friendly experience.
October 01, 2019
Convenient Platform For Global Organizational Management
HCL Notes (or formerly known as IBM Notes) is used by my company in all its regional offices worldwide. HCL Notes in my company serves many functions such as emails, sending meeting invite, booking meeting rooms, accessing to my company intranet, template sharing, leave management, notebook entry, creating to do list, raising IT issues to global IT team, and even booking guest room for business travel in other countries. As the result IBM Notes standardized my company processes across all regions. In short, it enables fast and easy global communication within the company.
IBM Notes is being used across the entire organization both nationally and internationally. Notes is primarily our email, calendar, and contacts solution, but also serves as a collaboration tool, messaging, and database client/server.
June 11, 2019
Lotus Notes Insights
Lotus Notes is used by most of the departments in our organization. It is used as documentary storage for all the requirements at a single place categorized accordingly. It has the client wise requirements along with their specific details.
January 14, 2019
IBM Notes is basic, but gets the job done
IBM Notes is used by some departments in our organization, but others have moved on to the Google suite of tools. I still use IBM Notes on a regular basis as I work across many different teams so I need to stay in touch with them. We use IBM Notes as a scheduling and communications tool mainly at this point. IBM Notes integrates well with IBM Sametime which is the main reason that some people at our organization have not wanted to move on.
March 16, 2018
IBM Notes: Decent interface, old school style
IBM notes is being used by our whole organization as an email and meeting scheduler. We also have sametime, another IBM product, which we use as an instant messaging system. It is currently being phased out as we are moving to a new email provider. It addresses our need to have a communication and scheduling platform for the organization to collaborate.
September 28, 2017
Notes is dead! But not really - it can still benefit you!
Our organization is a small IBM Business Partner. We use Notes for email and application development. It provides us secure access and storage of our mail data. Since we are small, it's used across the organization. We can also do team scheduling through calendaring and/or custom applications. We also write business-critical applications in Notes and Domino for our customers.
September 15, 2017
Strong Secure Email Collaborative Suite with Competitive Edge!
It's main function is two-fold. The first is obviously email, calendar, contacts, enterprise-grade shared storage and social networking available in Notes 9. The second function is we have around 20+ internally developed Lotus Notes databases which we use to store all infrastructure inventory, workflows, work queue for builds, audits etc. We also have the Lotus Notes DB's integrated with our ERP and Remedy ticketing system along with other systems which automatically pull data from the various Lotus Notes DBs. It is used pretty heavily on a daily basis.
September 15, 2017
IBM Notes Review
We use IBM Notes as our main CRM for the entire company. It's integrated nightly with our back-end accounting system. We also use it for publishing real-time information to up to 45,000 homeowners and 1,500 board members via our web portal. Additionally, we host several other websites to provide real-time information to our vendors and auditors.
IBM notes was used in this organization primarily for mail and workflow management. Various applications were built that could handle top executive approval flows and other document routing, commenting and decision-making processes. The most important features that were relied on were the impeccable security measures that were taken advantage of, such as encryption, compute when composed fields that maintained an un-editable audit trail log. IBM notes features like replication were a great advantage. And the beauty of the whole system was in the ease with which you could backup and restore, apps, clients, and servers.
February 17, 2016
IBM's Notes platform represents tons of ROI.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Our entire organization uses Notes, mainly for Mail but in most cases for other things as well.
Our organization has had, in the past, about 100 custom Notes databases (applications) in addition to Mail. Over half of them -- many originally from the late 1990's and early 2000's -- are still in use. Some have been replaced by 3rd party solutions (mainly HR type databases), and others have been re-written internally to be modernized for web & mobile, or just replaced by other practices such as project management. Notes developers can update existing applications as web-enabled, mobile-friendly "XPages" apps, but we have not chosen to do that.
Nearly every user in the organization uses multiple Notes applications daily in addition to their Mail. Notes applications are excellent at workflow, having replaced various approval systems (paper-based and otherwise) with full security and an audit trail.
About a third of the organization uses Notes mail, calendar and contacts on their mobile devices.
We additionally have a sidebar app for Sametime (chat, presence awareness, web meetings, audio / video conferencing, etc.) with Notes as a convenient, central hub for collaborating.
Our organization has had, in the past, about 100 custom Notes databases (applications) in addition to Mail. Over half of them -- many originally from the late 1990's and early 2000's -- are still in use. Some have been replaced by 3rd party solutions (mainly HR type databases), and others have been re-written internally to be modernized for web & mobile, or just replaced by other practices such as project management. Notes developers can update existing applications as web-enabled, mobile-friendly "XPages" apps, but we have not chosen to do that.
Nearly every user in the organization uses multiple Notes applications daily in addition to their Mail. Notes applications are excellent at workflow, having replaced various approval systems (paper-based and otherwise) with full security and an audit trail.
About a third of the organization uses Notes mail, calendar and contacts on their mobile devices.
We additionally have a sidebar app for Sametime (chat, presence awareness, web meetings, audio / video conferencing, etc.) with Notes as a convenient, central hub for collaborating.
February 25, 2015
IBM Notes & RAD
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use IBM Notes/Domino as a development platform, no email. Most of the Apps are for Departmental and some are for multiple departments and large number of users.
Effective Level of Measurement:
#1 Workflow Apps - IBM Notes is secure, Ease and Fast to develop, intergrate with Lotus Notes Mail or any other email platform easily.
#2 Intranet Sites/Apps/Document Management - Very quick and easy to put up an app like Order Online, Document Library, Room Reservation, HR apps, or an Inquiries type of apps.
#3 Clients/Servers Apps - Secure and easy to intergrate with any other databases (Oracle, SQL, DB2, mySQL) or platforms (J2EE, .NET, AS400) using Lotusscript Extension or Web Service.
#4 With the new release of Domino 8.5.3* and 9.0* (xPages, Extension Library, Dojo), design apps for mobile are very easy and quick.
IBM Notes Versus Sharepoint:
http://www.lialis.com/lotus-notes-versus-sharepoint/
Effective Level of Measurement:
#1 Workflow Apps - IBM Notes is secure, Ease and Fast to develop, intergrate with Lotus Notes Mail or any other email platform easily.
#2 Intranet Sites/Apps/Document Management - Very quick and easy to put up an app like Order Online, Document Library, Room Reservation, HR apps, or an Inquiries type of apps.
#3 Clients/Servers Apps - Secure and easy to intergrate with any other databases (Oracle, SQL, DB2, mySQL) or platforms (J2EE, .NET, AS400) using Lotusscript Extension or Web Service.
#4 With the new release of Domino 8.5.3* and 9.0* (xPages, Extension Library, Dojo), design apps for mobile are very easy and quick.
IBM Notes Versus Sharepoint:
http://www.lialis.com/lotus-notes-versus-sharepoint/
December 22, 2014
Notes then and now
Score 4 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We are currently using IBM Lotus Notes to support several financial modules that were created for/with us.
February 06, 2014
What is IBM Notes doing?
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I have worked with Lotus Notes and Domino since 1996 from Version 4, 5, 6.5, 8.0 and 8.5, but my last couple of projects all are migrations from Lotus Notes/Domino to Exchange Server. Some companies still only keep Domino/Notes applications. Regarding the business problems, I don't think have any technical issues, but sales and marketing issues.
February 05, 2014
Notes basics
One of the few reliable and industry standards that are present in Information Technology for more than 20 years. Security, offline functionality and RAD that are present since early releases are enhanced in last few years with powerful XPages "framework" (Java Server Faces implementation), great administration tools (ID Vault, DAOS, compression of data and design, etc.) and user UI refreshment.
February 04, 2014
IBM Notes help me to be a better consultant
IBM Notes is used in the whole organization to collaborate internal and external information. It's not used just for e-mail, but for custom developed applications that meet special needs. Like CRM, Document Management, Internal Workflows.