The big problem of documents (like MsWord or Lotus Symphony docs) is sharing them. Most people do this by e-mail and then the problems start:
That’s why I love wiki’s and Google docs so much: you always have the latest version. Besides that, Wiki adds adding more context to content because you can add it in a site Wiki structure and Google Apps adds simultaneous editing (co-authoring) a document.
What I notice however, it that people just are used to a fat client applications like Word or Symphony, even if they only use 10% of their possibilities. And then Sharepoint or Quickr solutions come in to arrange the sharing and give you check in, check out possibilities. But to be honest, check in & check out, that’s just a workaround to work on the same document, not the ideal situation (that’s simultaneously editing a document)
So instead of Symphony being another fat client, it should have focused on simultaneously editing within a fat client. And make sure the document is stored somewhere in the cloud without the user worrying about that. A fat client and Google docs merger.
That’s what Lotus Symphony should have been… By the looks of it Ms Office 14 (Office 2010) is going to have these features, so Microsoft is aiming for my ideal situation. However, Symphony still can make a difference by offering the new functionality for free or just a few bucks per month, because Office 2010 is not cheap, but Lotus Symphony should have been a revolution instead of an evolution.
PS. I know there are some exciting announcements on Lotusphere 2010, I hope this is one of them..
