Installing eProductivity
- Which version of Lotus Notes does eProductivity work with?
- Can I install eProductivity myself?
- Why does eProductivity replace the design of my mail file?
- Can I install eProductivity as a stand-alone application?
- Can I use eProductivity on more than one computer?
- What do I need to know to make my eProductivity experience as fast as possible?
eProductivity Features
- What's the difference between eProductivity 1.x and 2.x? Which version should I choose?
- I don't have Notes 8.51. Can I still use eProductivity 2.x?
- Will it work with my BlackBerry, Palm, or other smartphone?
- Can I use eProductivity for web mail?
- Does eProductivity include the latest features of Notes 8?
- When do you plan to to release a Notes 8.5 specific version?
Other Questions?
Installing eProductivity:
Which version of Lotus Notes does eProductivity work with?
eProductivity works with Lotus Notes on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is designed to work with Notes version 6 through version 8.5x. Please see the system requirements page for important details.
Can I install eProductivity myself?
As long as you meet the minimum system requirements, you can install eProductivity yourself. The installation process is easy and fast. Simply download eProductivity and use it to replace the design of your mail or journal database. The entire process takes less than five minutes. If you have multiple installations to do, we have a tool that your administrator can use to remotely install eProductivity to tens, hundreds, or thousands of users by typing one command at the server console.
Why does eProductivity replace the design of my mail file?
To achieve maximum integration between email, calendar, projects and actions, contacts, and external reference databases, your mail file must use the eProductivity design. We realize that for some organizations, replacing the mail design may be against policy or could interfere with customized mail templates. If this is the case, please contact us; we may be able to assist you in integrating eProductivity while respecting your company policies and preserving any mail template customizations.
Can I install eProductivity as a stand-alone application?
Yes, it is possible to run eProductivity as a stand-alone database. When eProductivity is used as a stand-alone application, no changes to the user's mail file are necessary, however, some functions (e.g. drag and drop from email to calendar or projects & actions; linking of e-mails, etc.) may not be available.
Can I use eProductivity on more than one computer?
Potentially. It depends on which version of eProductivity you purchase. Please see the Concurrent Use page for more information.
What do I need to know to make my eProductivity experience as fast as possible?
As with any Lotus Notes application, overall performance will depend on many factors, including the speed of the computer, size and number of documents in the mail file and whether or not the mail file is local or remote.
You'lll experience significant speed improvements when (a) you have a smaller mail file and (b) you're accessing your mail file locally. However, eProductivity will work with mail files of any size located either locally or on a server.
We encourage you to make use of the Lotus Notes Archiving and the eProductivity Reference Database to move nonactionable information out of the mail database. This will help reduce the mail file size and speed up performance. We also encourage use of the latest versions of eProductivity as the software is continuously being optimized to improve performance.
For additional tips on how you can improve the performance of eProductivity and Lotus Notes in general, please refer to these two resources:
Speeding up your Lotus Notes (Part 1)
Speeding up your Lotus Notes (Part 2)
eProductivity Features:
What's the difference between eProductivity 1.x and 2.x? Which version should I choose?
The fundamental difference between the two flavors of eProductivity is the underlying mail template they are based on.
eProductivity 1.x is based on the standard Notes Mail 6.5.3 template and provides the broadest range of compatibility with Notes 6, 7, and 8, on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Web support in this version is limited to the Notes 6.5.3 web features which are very basic. Choose version 1.x if you are using a version of Lotus Notes prior to 8.5.1.
eProductivity 2.x is based on the standard Notes Mail 8.5.1 template and builds on the features and performance of Notes 8.5.1 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Full Notes Web support is enabled in this version as provided by the Notes 8.5.1 web services. Choose version 2.x if you are using Lotus Notes version 8.5.1 or higher.
I don't have Notes 8.51. Can I still use eProductivity 2.x?
While we're aware that some people use eProductivity 2.x with Notes versions prior to 8.5.1 (e.g. 8.0, 8.02, and 8.5), IBM does not recommend or support this configuration other than for migration purposes. As a result, we only certify eProductivity 2.x with Notes 8.5.1 and higher.
While you shouldn't lose any data running eProductivity 2.x with a version of Notes prior to 8.5.1, the mail template upon which eProductivity 2.x is based is really designed to leverage the features of Notes 8.5.1. Therefore, we recommend that you upgrade to Notes 8.5.1 - it's faster, more reliable, and you'll be happier.
Will it work with my BlackBerry, Palm, or other smartphone?
Most likely, yes. eProductivity respects the standard fields for email, calendar, contacts, and tasks. We have many satisfied eProductivity customers using BlackBerry, Treo, Windows Mobile, and other SmartPhones with Lotus Notes and eProductivity. If you are currently able to synch your mobile device to Lotus Notes via a cable or wireless, then it should work with eProductivity. We want you to be satisfied with your purchase. For this reason, we encourage you to download and evaluate eProductivity before you buy.
Synchronization between Lotus Notes and your mobile device is handled outside of eProductivity, using your own synch software. (e.g. Blackberry Enterprise server, or other desktop or wireless synch software). At this time we do not provide any device-specific software, however, stay tuned as this is an area we are continuously exploring. (Be sure to visit the eProductivity forums, as users have recommended device-specific solutions that work will with eProductivity.) If you have a specific question, feel free to contact us.
Can I use eProductivity for web mail?
Yes and No. eProductivity versions 1.7 and 1.8 are "web-capable," that is, they work on the web but do not support DWA, iNotes or specific eProductivity functionality. We are in the process of developing the next major release of eProductivity, which will be based on Lotus Notes 8.5x design that will include support for a variety of web platforms and devices. (See below.)
Does eProductivity include the latest features of Notes 8?
That depends. If the feature is built into Notes itself, it should work just fine. If it's a part of one of the new Notes 8.x/8.5x mail templates then it may not be available just yet. Feel free to contact us with a specific question. Or, download the free evaluation and try it for yourself.
With the release of Notes version 8.0, (then 8.01, 8.02, 8.5, and now 8.51), IBM Introduced several new features, fixed many bugs, and delivered many new bugs to contend with. Some of these features have been found to affect the stability and compatibility of Lotus Notes. For these reasons, we made the decision not to base the current version of eProductivity on the Notes 8.x mail template. Therefore, the current version may not yet include the very recent Notes 8 features (e.g. multiple calendars). We are pleased to report that eProductivity is proven stable and works well across Notes 6.x, 7.x, 8.x, and 8.5x on Windows, Mac, and Linux - all with excellent results. We know that when it comes to getting things done, our users choose productivity over features, especially when those features may affect their system stability or performance.
We have many satisfied users around the world using eProductivity with Lotus Notes versions as old as 6.0x and as new as 8.5x. While we have many users at each extreme, we know that most Notes users are still currently on version 6.5 or 7.x. The reality is that for various reasons much of the Notes user base is not ready for 8.x and many of us -- including the team at ICA and the David Allen Company -- have found earlier versions of Notes to be far more productive, stable, and reliable. We expect this to improve over time as IBM works out the issues with the 8.x architecture. When they do, eProductivity will be ready.
When do you plan to to release a Notes 8.5 specific version?
We are actively developing the next release of eProductivity which will be based on the 8.51 version of the Notes mail template. The timing of this next version is currently scheduled for late 2009 or early 2010. We are currently inviting existing customers to participate in the beta program for this version. When we release the new version, current customers will receive a free upgrade. Meanwhile, there's nothing stopping you from getting things done in Lotus Notes, now. In the end, that's what GTD is all about.
If you have a specific Notes 8.5 features that you would like us to implement, feel free to let us know.
Other Information:
Additional frequently asked questions
