It looks like Cisco is eliminating the use of IBM’s Lotus Sametime, a communication, instant messaging and collaboration software, in favor of WebEx Connect, which also has IM functionality. WebEx Connect and WebEx Meeting products were built by WebEx, a company that Cisco acquired in 2007, and the IM engine was developed by Jabber, a software company acquired by Cisco in 2008.
A representative from Cisco told us that WebEx Connect provides a “more productive real-time collaboration with increased functionality and greater stability.” Currently, Cisco has 60,000 employees using Lotus Sametime. Cisco find WebEx’s product more appealing because it provides integration with other chat services so users can communicate with with people who are using AIM or Google Talk.
It’s interesting that Cisco is beginning to use its own homegrown communication applications to replace productivity applications from more traditional enterprise companies that have a stronghold on these types of products, such as IBM and Microsoft. It should be interesting to see if this is a strategy Cisco adopts more aggressively in the future.