Cybernet Software Systems has made available a free utility called ScanNotes to scan images directly into Lotus Notes applications. ScanNotes allows scanning images from a scanner directly into a Notes richtext field. As a Client Addin , two menu items Acquire and Select Source are added in the Actions Menu upon installation. Acquire is used to scan an image and import it to the current richtext field. It will work only if the current document is in edit mode and the current context is richtext field. Select Source is used to select the scanner driver to be used for Acquire.

REAL Web Business is a purpose-built design tool that enables companies to build advanced Web-based applications on top of Lotus Notes databases and the Lotus Domino server. The tool makes it easy to build Web applications while preserving existing investment in Lotus Notes and legacy systems. By providing links to operational databases, it enables companies to process traditional transactional information either within the public domain, through the Internet, or in business-to-business applications, through an extranet.

Topcall International introduced enhancements to its messaging archive. Topcall has added has added capabilities that allow companies to archive messages and binary attachments exchanged internally between users of Lotus Notes. Topcall also announced support of optical character recognition (OCR), which creates a full text index of all incoming fax messages and allows users to search for image-based documents.

McAfee Software announced the availability of McAfee Clinic, the first software product-based service available over the Internet. McAfee.com offers a series of value-add features. These services include McAfee Briefcase, which provides smart services that allow individuals and groups to collaborate on the Web using e-mail, calendaring, file storage, and document collaboration services. Smart services in the Briefcase also allow users to synchronize their e-mail, calendars and files with popular messaging systems like Microsoft Exchange, Outlook, cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, and POP3-based systems.

Thawte Certification announced its Enterprise PKI Platform, a portfolio of products and services that will enable any organization to build a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) tailored to its specific requirements. The announcement encompasses Outsourced CA Services, Private Label and Registration Authority Services as well as Chained or Cross-Certified CA Services. This service allows an organization that has deployed its own independent PKI to be recognized globally by current software from IBM, Lotus, Microsoft, Netscape and other vendors.

Computer Mail Services, Inc. (CMS) announced the release of S-Bridge 4.0, the latest iteration of its 32-bit electronic mail gateway that allows users to connect corporate Lotus cc:Mail, Microsoft Mail, or Novell messaging systems with the Internet or Intranet UNIX hosts. S-Bridge 4.0 features a number of enhancements, most notably the addition of even more advanced anti-spam countermeasures.

Lotus announced it has shipped Sametime 1.0. Sametime is a family of real-time communication and collaboration products that allow people to find others on the Web, regardless of their location, and to instantly communicate and share documents or other visual information.

Extended Systems Inc. that its new data synchronization technology, Enterprise Harmony Sync Engine, is being bundled with the new Lotus Organizer 5.0 personal information manager software. Extended Systems has designed and developed a conversion package for Lotus that uses Enterprise Harmony’s technology to interface with various PC applications and seamlessly import the appropriate data into Lotus Organizer 5.0 by navigating through a series of wizards. Supported applications include Microsoft Outlook 97/98, Symantect ACT! 3.0, Daytimer 98 and Starfish Sidekick.

PC Week has this interview with Rich Tong, Microsoft’s vice-president of BackOffice marketing. Tong talks about the upcoming Exchange upgrade, code-named Platinum.

Lotus CEO Jeff Papows spoke with Interactive Week about what’s next for Notes/Domino and the messaging wars in 1999.