IBM Lotus Organizer

Infobox_Software
name = IBM Lotus Organizer



caption =
developer = IBM
latest_release_version = 6.1
latest_release_date = 2003
operating_system = Microsoft Windows
genre = Personal information manager
license = Proprietary
website = [http://ibm.com/software/sw-lotus/products/product2.nsf/wdocs/orgfact www.ibm.com]

Lotus Organizer is a personal information manager package. It was initially developed by Threadz, a small British software house, reaching version 3.0. Organizer was subsequently acquired by Lotus Development Corporation, for whom the package was a Windows-based replacement for Lotus Agenda. For several years it was the unquestioned market leader before it was gradually overtaken by Microsoft's Outlook.

It is notable for using the organizer graphical metaphor for its user interface and is often bundled within Lotus SmartSuite.

IBM continues to support and ship Lotus Organizer. Version 6.1 is the most recent version, with support for Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Desktop Integration

When used as part of Lotus SmartSuite, Organizer can be totally integrated with SmartCenter, allowing its databases to be quickly accessed without the need to open the application.

Versions

Microsoft Windows

Organizer is a part of Lotus SmartSuite, but is also sold as a single application. The latest releases of SmartSuite do not include the current version of Organizer; it is sold separately only.

Versions up to 2 were 16-bit programs. Later versions are 32-bit programs.

IBM OS/2

The first OS/2 version was released in 1998. Until then, the Windows 16-bit version had been used. The last version is 1.7 from 2001. Later revisions of SmartSuite did not upgrade Organizer, although some fixes have been made.

Organizer for OS/2 uses the .or4 file format. This means that it cannot exchange data files with the later Windows versions, other than by importing and exporting data.

The features and user interface for Organizer for OS/2 are similar to that of Organizer 97 for Windows. It lacks later improvements, such as importing and exporting vCard and iCalendar files, and synchronisation with PDAs.

ee also

* List of personal information managers

External links

* [http://www.ibm.com/software/lotus/products/organizer/ Lotus Organizer home page]
* [http://www.ibm.com/software/lotus/products/smartsuite/ Lotus SmartSuite home page]
* [http://www.lotus.com/ldd/ssforum.nsf/SortedAllThreadedweb?OpenView&ExpandView&RestricttoCategory=Organizer Lotus Organizer in SmartSuite Forum]

References

* [http://calbears.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1992_June_5/ai_12326897 Threadz Organizer 3.0 review] by Newsbytes from June 5, 1992. Accessed 2006-08-08.
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4332056,00.html Mention by Jack Schofield] of The Guardian, January 10, 2002. Accessed 2006-08-08.