Users interviewed at the conference generally agreed that the promised additions to IBM's Lotus product line could help improve their collaboration processes. But some said it might be a while before their organizations take advantage of the new tools.

For example, an IT administrator at an East Coast utility said its business units use different applications and systems, posing collaboration challenges. Processes could be improved by using some of the new features coming in Version 8 of IBM's Notes and Domino applications, said the administrator, who asked to remain anonymous.

The Notes 8 client is based on the Eclipse open-source development framework and will look like a native application on Windows, Macintosh and Linux desktops, according to IBM. The IT administrator said that should make the software "system-independent" while also making it easier for end users to access data.

But he added that his company's 20,000 users probably won't see the new tools for several years. The utility is still upgrading its systems to Version 7 of Notes and Domino and won't be ready for another upgrade right away.

Two Lotus tools debut