Bisconti says IBM will introduce its next version of Notes, code-named "Hannover", in 2007.

"This is perhaps the most dramatic new release that we have ever embarked upon in Notes' history," he says.

Notes Hannover will have a brand new user interface, with improvements in all the core, mail, calendar and contact management applications, he says. It will also have support for applications outside the traditional Notes programming model, for example Java and Eclipse applications.

"This means that from a Notes application you could directly connect a SAP, a Siebel, a custom Java or even a .net application inside of a Notes environment," says Bisconti.

When asked about rumors that Notes is going to disappear Bisconti is blunt.