IBM® Lotus® Symphony and IBM® Lotus® SmartSuite® Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 10/21/2008
Q1: What is the roadmap for IBM® Lotus® SmartSuite® and for IBM® Lotus® Symphony®? A1: The roadmap for Lotus SmartSuite remains unchanged, and there are no plans at present to converge these two offerings. IBM announced in September its membership in OpenOffice.org and that Lotus Symphony would be available for download at no charge. SmartSuite remains an independent, fully integrated office productivity suite.
Q2: Is IBM replacing Lotus SmartSuite? A2: Lotus Symphony is not a replacement for Lotus SmartSuite, rather we anticipate that SmartSuite users will benefit from Symphony because Symphony will enable them to save SmartSuite documents in the Open Document Format (ODF).
Q3 What is Lotus Symphony ? A3 Lotus Symphony is a set of applications for creating, editing, and sharing word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Designed to handle the majority of tasks that end users perform, Lotus Symphony supports ODF, enabling organizations to access, use, and maintain their documents over the long term without worrying about end-of-life uncertainties or ongoing software licensing and royalty fees. By using tools that support ODF, customers are not locked into one particular vendor for their productivity tools. ODF helps provide interoperability and flexibility.
Q4: If I already have Lotus SmartSuite, why would I want to use Lotus Symphony? A4: Lotus SmartSuite is a proven office productivity suite of tools that includes programs like Lotus Organizer® and Lotus Approach®, which are not part of Lotus Symphony, but a Symphony user can open documents in SmartSuite formats (e.g. Lotus 1-2-3®) and produce spreadsheets, word processing, or presentation files in ODF.
Q5: How do my Lotus SmartSuite files work with Lotus Symphony? and vice versa? A5: IBM has published this information at
http://symphony.lotus.com/software/lotus/symphony/product_faqs.jspa Q6 Which Lotus SmartSuite files can be opened in Lotus Symphony? A6: Lotus 1-2-3 files can be opened in Lotus Symphony Spreadsheets, Lotus Word Pro documents can be opened in Lotus Symphony Documents, and Lotus Freelance Graphics files can opened in Lotus Symphony Presentations.
Q7: Do the import filters provide 100% fidelity/feature coverage between Lotus SmartSuite and Lotus Symphony? If not, what are the import filter limitations? A7: Some advanced features such as embedded macros are not supported. There may also be some layout features and formatting attributes in more complex documents that are handled differently in Lotus Symphony or are unsupported. As a result, converted files may require some degree of manual reformatting. The amount of reformatting that can be expected is proportional to the complexity of the structure and formatting of the source document.
Q8: Can files created by Lotus Symphony be exported to Lotus SmartSuite formats? A8: Lotus Symphony produces Open Document Format files and certain Microsoft® Office format files. Lotus SmartSuite has long had the ability to open, read, and edit Microsoft Office files, however direct export from Symphony or the IBM Productivity Tools (integrated with Lotus Notes®) to SmartSuite is not possible. That is, there is no plan at present to enhance Lotus 1-2-3, WordPro®, or Freelance Graphics to allow Open Document Format files to be opened directly in SmartSuite.
Q9: Does Lotus offer support for both Lotus SmartSuite and Lotus Symphony? A9: Support for Lotus SmartSuite will continue to follow the standard support model for customers that enroll in active maintenance for their SmartSuite licenses. Support for the Symphony components that are embedded with Lotus Notes 8 is delivered through the Lotus Notes support agreements.
Free support for stand-alone Lotus Symphony is provided through the web as part of the IBM Lotus Symphony community forums. The support forums are located at the following URL:
http://symphony.lotus.com/software/lotus/symphony/ForumnsHome.nsf/home Additionally, a fee-based support option IBM Elite Support for IBM Lotus Symphony is available.
Q10: What is the CEO Communications offering? A10: The CEO Communications offering provides a complete enterprise solution for messaging and collaboration whose goal is to outfit an enterprise with full set of messaging and collaboration products for their organization. With the inclusion of the IBM productivity tools with Notes, this customer can produce spreadsheets, word processing, and presentation graphics files in ODF.
Q11 What is the CEO Working Together offering? A11 This is a bundle of both Lotus Notes and Lotus SmartSuite, with full supported access to all SmartSuite functionality. Owners of CEO Working Together may separately use Lotus Symphony.
The information contained in this documentation is provided for informational purposes only. While efforts were made to verify the completeness and accuracy of the information contained in this documentation, it is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, express or implied. In addition, this information is based on IBM’s current product plans and strategy, which are subject to change by IBM without notice. IBM shall not be responsible for any damages arising out of the use of, or otherwise related to, this documentation or any other documentation. Nothing contained in this documentation is intended to, nor shall have the effect of, creating any warranties or representations from IBM (or its suppliers or licensors), or altering the terms and conditions of the applicable license agreement governing the use of IBM software.
IBM, the IBM logo, 1-2-3, Approach, Freelance Graphics, Lotus, Lotus Organizer, Notes, SmartSuite, Symphony and WordPro are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Microsoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
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