When IBM rolled out Notes and Domino 8 earlier this summer, a good many System i-based organizations were dismayed to learn that IBM had not included the ability to use the i5/OS version of DB2 to store Lotus Domino documents and data. Domino 8 was widely expected to support the DB2 connection for i5/OS, a.k.a. NSFDB2.

COMMON and COMMON Europe surveyed their memberships and found that 41 percent of COMMON members in North America use Domino systems on i5/OS servers while 58 percent of COMMON Europe members do the same. The vast majority also noted that IBM's NSFDB2 for i5/OS decision would affect their businesses.

The two COMMONs sent a letter to Steve Mills, IBM's senior vice president and group executive of IBM's software group, and asked that IBM reconsider adding NSFDB2 support for i5/OS to Domino.

Although COMMON hasn't communicated a public, formal response from IBM, the user group has secured a webcast with Bill Hume, IBM's director of Domino development. Set for November 14 at 11 a.m. Central Time (noon Eastern), the "IBM/Lotus Domino and Collaborative Capabilities for System i" webcast promises to provide attendees with details about IBM's "fundamental advances in its collaborative product offerings for the System i platform."

Products covered will include the recently announced versions of Notes, Domino, Sametime, and the new Quickr capability, COMMON says. Plus, Hume will share some of IBM's development process for these products on the System i platform, including what is being done to facilitate consumability especially for the System i.

There's no specific mention of NSFDB2 for i5/OS in COMMON's materials, but if it's an important topic for attendees, you can bet Hume will address it proactively -- or at least respond to attendee questions. Registration is not yet open.

Assuming NSFDB2 support is not made available, COMMON reported earlier this summer that 28 percent of its member organizations may have to move their Domino servers to a different operating system, and 25 percent said that planned development projects would be delayed. Another 17 percent said they expected that they would be forced to abandon the Domino platform altogether.