Lotus Premium Partner HPC Technologies, Inc.has acquired Brainstorm Technology’s Lotus Notes-based products. The products acquired include Visual Help Desk and Visual Customer Service. Brainstorm’s other products (ServerAdmin Plus, VB/Link, and DataLink) had previously been sold to Percussion Software in Stoneham, MA. HPC Technologies is actively developing R5 versions of both products. Customers are encouraged to contact the company for upgrade information.

Eileen Rudden, Senior Vice President of Lotus’ Communications Products Division, and David Gang, Senior Vice President of Strategic Development for America Online (AOL), talked about the recent agreement between the two companies.

Internet Week reports that Ipswitch Inc. will introduce IMail Server 5.0 for Windows NT, which now supports a customizable, browser-based interface. IMail is designed for ISPs and smaller companies looking to simplify e-mail by rendering it through a Web browser.

ReCor Corporation released its new Network Based Training course for Novell GroupWise 5.5. By teaching users the basics of Novell’s collaboration software, the NBT for GroupWise 5.5 course helps organizations gather, access and communicate information essential to their business.

HELP Software announces the availability of Database Activity 1.0, a utility for Lotus Notes and Domino designed to assist administrators by monitoring database user activity. Database Activity will identify databases that have never been used or are no longer being used. Database Activity can also send alarms if a specified sensitive database has a high number of reads, which could indicate unauthorized printing or replication.

Command Software Systems is making a half price offer as part of their introduction of Command AntiVirus for Lotus Notes. During this 90-day introductory period, a 25-user license will cost only $378.50. This is 50% off the standard list price of $757. Command AntiVirus for Lotus Notes offers a safe and secure enterprise through the deployment of HoloCheck scanning technology which secures all virus entry points, including e-mail, database and replication activities. Customers receive fully configurable scanning options; flexible administration of servers, databases and reporting; and automatic updating of product and the latest virus signatures.

Verity, Inc. and Corel Corp. announced an OEM agreement involving Verity’s HTML Export technology. Corel is embedding Verity HTML Export in its new, innovative knowledge publishing application, code-named NetDocs, which will be included in part of Corel’s upcoming version of WordPerfect Office 2000 Professional.

Omtool Legal Systems announced FaxCenter, a new software product designed to improve operations in facilities management centers used by many major law firms. Introduced at LegalTech in New York City (Booth 2400), FaxCenter is the first product designed for law office fax centers, where fast, accurate high-volume document transfer is essential. FaxCenter allows a fax administrator to instantly and economically route faxes directly to workstations, distribution lists, fax machines or printers all over the world, using the firm’s existing e-mail network. FaxCenter supports Windows 95/98 or WinNT 4.0 workstations, and all enterprise e-mail systems (including Microsoft Exchange, Novell GroupWise and Lotus Notes).

ReCor Corp. released a computer-based training course that helps organizations upgrading to Lotus Notes R5 ensure a smooth end user migration to the latest version of the groupware application. The 13-lesson course, called "Network Based Training for Lotus Notes 5 — What’s New in Notes 5," was announced at Lotusphere99. The course is invaluable to organizations upgrading to Lotus Notes R5 because it focuses only on the knowledge and skills that their users need to know.

HELP Software announces the availability of Power Tools 2.10, a set of 27 administrative tools for Lotus Notes and Domino. Power Tools simplifies the management of the Notes/Domino environment by automating the maintenance of ACLs, groups, mail files, and more.