IBM's Lotus Gets Fresh Legs

SAN FRANCISCO - IBM's(IBM Quote) Lotus Notes was once the dominant software for corporate communications, until it was pummeled by Microsoft's(MSFT Quote) desktop and communications software.

Now the Lotus brand is springing back to life.

Buried in IBM's recent earnings report were signs of a resurgence in Lotus Notes and its Domino 8 Server, which together make up the company's fully integrated email, messaging and collaboration suite. IBM acquired Lotus in the mid-1990s.

Lotus has taken a beating: Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner said recently that his company's Exchange email server, SharePoint collaboration software and Office products replaced 4.86 million Lotus users, or "seats," in the fiscal year just ended. ...