- Through Lotus iNotes, Domino users have access to a broader range of Domino services through a web browser than ever before. E-mail, calendaring, scheduling, personal contacts, and other facilities are accessible using Netscape Communicator for OS/2 Warp (or any other web browser).
- Lotus has announced its plans to release Domino Off-Line Services for OS/2 Warp users. This plug-in will provide offline e-mail, calendaring, scheduling, personal contacts, and other Domino services, all from within the familiar Netscape Communicator for OS/2 Warp common interface for web applications.
For more information on these new developments, and others, please visit:
Other previously announced improvements include:
- Availability of the new Lotus Smartsuite Version 1.5 for OS/2 Warp, with improved capabilities for exchanging documents with other office suite users. See http://www.lotus.com/smartsuite/os2 for details.
- Availability of Lotus Domino Server (for Warp Server for e-business), with features such as SMP exploitation and support for web-based clients. See http://www.lotus.com/domino for more information.
- Continued availability of regular service updates for the Lotus Notes 4.5x series of OS/2 Warp clients (still supported with Domino 5). Updates can be obtained at http://notes.net on the Web.
This new version includes several new web enhancements, improved Microsoft Office filters, support for larger spreadsheets, and more.
For more information, including full details on the new Release 1.5 features, please visit:
Verisign Certificate Expiration for Netscape Navigator 2.02 and Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp
Important Security Alert for Webmasters, Internet Administrators and Users Verisign Certificate Expiration
Netscape Communicator 4.05 or earlier include a root certificate set to expire on December 31, 1999. Users of these browsers will experience an additional dialog box when connecting to secure sites after January 1, 2000. This is a user interface issue; root CA certificate expiration does not affect SSL encryption. A user may safely click on continue and proceed with secure transactions.
In order to eliminate this additional dialog box, the user must upgrade their browser or delete and obtain a new root CA certificate.
This applies to Netscape Navigator 2.02 for OS/2 and to Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp. Netscape Communicator 4.61 for OS/2 Warp has an updated root CA certificate and needs no action.
For more information, please see http://www.ibm.com/software/os/warp/netscape or click on Release Notes under Help on your browser.
Further Information (as seen on the Web page above): Important Security Alert for Webmasters, Internet Administrators, and Browser Users:
Verisign Certificate Expiration
Netscape Communicator 4.05 or earlier include a root certificate set to expire on December 31, 1999. Users of these browsers will experience an additional dialog box when connecting to secure sites after January 1, 2000. This is a user interface issue; root CA certificate expiration does not affect SSL encryption. This is not a Y2K issue. A user may safely click on continue and proceed with secure transactions.
In order to eliminate this additional dialog box, the user must upgrade their browser or delete and obtain a new root CA certificate.
This applies to Netscape Navigator 2.02 for OS/2 and to Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp. Netscape Communicator 4.61 for OS/2 Warp has an updated root CA certificate and needs no action.
You have three choices, 1) upgrade your browser, 2) update your CA root certificate, or 3) ignore the additional dialog box:
Choice # 1: Update Your Browser
Please go to Software Choice (
http://service.boulder.ibm.com/asd-bin/doc/en_us/catalog.htm) to select and
download Netscape Communicator 4.61 for OS/2 Warp.
Choice # 2: Update Your Root CA Certificate
Netscape Communicator 4.04 for OS/2 Warp
To obtain step-by-step instructions specific to Netscape Communicator 4.X
for updating your root CA certificate, please go to site:
For more information, please click on Release Notes under Help from your browser or go to http://www.ibm.com/software/os/warp/netscape.
Netscape Navigator 2.02 for OS/2
For Netscape Navigator 2.02 for OS/2 users, please go to
http://www.ibm.com/software/os/warp/netscape. You
will have extra steps to complete prior to updating your root CA certificate:
-- go to http://ps.software.ibm.com/, click on Downloads
and News to download a fix for Netscape Navigator 2.02 for OS/2 (this fix will be
available on December 1, 1999)
-- install the fix for Netscape Navigator 2.02
-- ensure that you have set the -3 parameter in the Properties
notebook for the Navigator object on the Workplace Shell Desktop
-- go to this site to obtain the step-by-step instructions specific to
Netscape Navigator 3.X:
Choice # 3: Ignore the Additional Dialog Box
Remember your other choice is to inform users about the dialog box and to make sure they know that they can click continue to ignore the warning and continue with full SSL encryption for their transaction.
For more information from Verisign and to see the additional dialog box that will be seen by users after January 1, 2000 if they do not take corrective action, please go to: http://www.verisign.com/server/cus/rootcert/webmaster.html
IBM isn't creating a new OS/2 client that they'll sell only to enterprise customers, as the rumors posted on Warpcast (www.warpcast.com) had implied. Rather, IBM NCSD is providing customized installation images of IBM OS/2 Warp Server for e-Business, which may include a subset of the full server OS. For instance, a customized system might be used as a Web or Notes server, and leave out file and print services. In such a case, the customer still purchases a license for the full Warp Server for e-Business (though at a significant discount, if this is a big corporate customer). It's rather like buying a cheeseburger without cheese, according to Steven King, NCSD Services Manager.
Savvy OS/2 resellers know that providing a customized solution like this isn't a technically challenging feat. It's merely a matter of knowledgeably picking options during the installation process, or, in a larger deployment, modifying the CID files for the installation images. That's a service that any OS/2 VAR can offer, and many do so.
If your customers are interested in upgrading their OS/2 Warp 4 clients -- other than by IBM's FixPaks, which are up to #12 by now -- you may want to point out to them that, as of January 1, some services will be available only if they purchase IBM Software Choice ( http://www.ibmlink.ibm.com/usalets&parms=H_299-276). This new policy will make OS/2 the only operating system for which users will need to pay to get updated Java VMs or Netscape Web browsers. Ironically, IBM -- the e-Business company -- directs Web users to inquire about pricing via telephone.