Last week was a big week for HCL Digital Solutions, the part of HCL Software that owns the Domino platform. HCL rolled three separate conferences into a single, online-only event titled HCL Digital Week. DS Imagine 2020 was a couple of days of sessions focused on a business level view of the products in the Digital Solutions suite, Sametime, Connections, Volt MX and, of course Domino, with a couple of strategy related sessions such as a discussion on the future of work with someone from market research firm IDC. DX Inspire was a three-day event focused on HCL Digital Experience (the products formerly known as IBM Websphere Portal and Web Content Manager). And then it was down to the technical nitty gritty for the Factory Tour, three days of deeper technical sessions about all of the HCL DS and DX products. By the way, if that sounds like more than a week of content, it’s because the events overlapped, but everything happened within the five day work week.
There was a lot of content in there and the technology side of delivering it all online worked pretty well. I have no idea how many people were participating in the different sessions, but for the most part, they went off without a hitch. So kudos to HCL for organizing and managing the event. From our point of view, the most interesting sessions were the ones focused on the Domino platform and, although it’s still a few months away, there was quite a lot of detail surrounding the upcoming Domino v12 release.
So what should we expect in v12 of Domino? The overriding theme behind Domino v12 is a “harmonious experience“, and it breaks down into five main areas:
1. Easier Server Admin
If you’re a Domino administrator, you’ll like v12. Upgrades have been made easier, with a new silent/one-click Domino install using a JSON configuration file. Backups have been improved and simplified, providing the ability to back up Domino databases to almost any backup solution. And there will be a new license tracking and reporting application that makes it easier to determine how many user licenses you should be paying for. It’s worth noting that the results from the license reporting tool are not sent to HCL. This is a tool for internal administrators to be able to audit their own licensing needs.
2. Easier Client Admin + Better Client UX
This area centers around a strong push toward the web browser as the only desktop client needed. It includes the release of Nomad Web, which is the desktop web browser based version of HCL Nomad - a lightweight client that will run native traditional Notes applications on a mobile device with no changes needed to the code. Nomad Web lets you run your native Notes applications in a browser, and HCL claims that it launches “in seconds”. Coupled with a list of planned enhancements to allow Verse to become the mail platform of choice for users, that signals a move away from the Notes client and toward the browser as the primary client for users.
3. More Mobile
Nomad Mobile has been around for a while now, and programmability and security improvements (see below) will improve the user experience for mobile users of native Domino applications. Under the programmability heading, there are new @Formula commands being introduced that will make it easier to build responsive mobile apps in the traditional native Notes/Domino environment.
4. Security Improvements
HCL Domino already has one of the most sophisticated and configurable security models of any application server environment. Domino v12 adds a few features that increase the level of security, and improve usability. Active Directory password sync makes single sign-on easier to deliver. Two factor authentication is now built into Domino. And there is new support for biometric authentication on mobile devices.
5. Notes Client Improvements
Despite all the focus on delivering mail, calendaring and customized business apps through a browser or on a mobile device, HCL hasn’t forgotten the good old Notes client. There’s an upgraded UI, performance improvements, and Notes even got its own branding under HCL!
Overall, it looks like HCL is sticking to its promise to continue to innovate and invest in the Domino platform. And, they are doing it in a way that allows you to modernize your applications without needing to re-engineer them in some radically different environment. They are even showing the old Notes client, expected by many to have been sunsetted by now, some love.
HCL Domino v12 is currently slated for release in the first half of 2021. Based on what we’ve seen so far, we’re looking forward to it!
If you have questions about upgrading to the latest version of Domino, or any aspect of your HCL Domino application infrastructure, click below to start a conversation. We love to talk!