IdeaJam(tm) : Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Notes Client / Other: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:36:07 +0000

Author: Craig Wiseman
Tags: MAPI VIM
Idea:

MAPI-functionality was removed in R6. In order to support customers better and compete with Outlook, there should be a standard API-based way for 3rd party apps to access basic Notes email funtions.

It is incredibly frustrating to install many many 3rd party apps (Olympus' DSs Player Pro is biting me at the moment) to realize it supports Outlook and Outlook Express, but not Notes.

I'd vote to restore MAPI on the Windows platform, but I don't actually care, as long as it works. OpenVIM anyone?

09/17/2008 UPDATE: I just added this screenshot from the Quickr Connector (v8.1). Notice anything?

re: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:36:48 +0000

Author: John Cawrey
Comment: I have the same issue with Olympus DSS player pro!

re: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:58:28 +0000

Author: Stuart Mcintyre
Comment: Surely the third party apps should just use the default email program on the Windows install, in the same way as a mailto link is called?

re: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:40:25 +0000

Author: Craig Wiseman
Comment: @2 - Ideally yeah. Practially, there are thousands of apps that go by the older MS programming guidelines and use MAPI and such to work.
The point here is that's it a huge disincentive for using Notes if a lot (most?) of the 3rd part software you buy that works fine with Outlook doesn't work with Notes.
It's something that could be fixed. It's something that should be fixed.

re: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:36:21 +0000

Author: Stuart Mcintyre
Comment:

re: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:36:41 +0000

Author: Stuart Mcintyre
Comment: Fair comment Craig. Would love to know IBM's rationale for removing the MAPI support in the first place...

re: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:01:44 +0000

Author: Mika Heinonen
Comment: There are Standard APIs to support Notes mail functions: OLE/COM/C API. Of course C API works the best, but has longer development times. The Visual Basic COM interface is the easiest to program, but it has many bugs due to Microsoft Office. A pure Visual Studio Basic program overcomes those bugs. I suggest using Visual Basic 6, as newer versions of Visual Basic are crap, and lower the development time again.

re: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:38:02 +0000

Author: Grant Lindsay
Comment: I guess I would want to know (if I were writing an API for Notes Mail, which I am not) what APIs do these third party vendors support. Do they support an open messaging API? (Is there one?)

If they only support MAPI, which I have read is a closed protocol, then does it matter what another messaging platform (Notes or what have you) offers as an API?

-- Grant

re: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:35:03 +0000

Author: Ninke Westra
Comment: How about the fact that you need to have OUTLOOK installed (no need to configure it, it just needs to be installed) if you want to be able to use the 'Send to mail recipient' functionality in the other Microsoft Office products

re: Since MAPI-support has been removed, Notes should have a standard API to access email functions

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:03:29 +0000

Author: Craig Wiseman
Comment: Just to continue the rant...
I have a client that's been using Notes for 10 years. So they just got a pretty nifty VOIP phone system that includes desktop faxing, VM to email, etc.
Except the software for that system reads the Windows Addressbook, and NOT Notes.
That means they have to keep two copies of their contacts, in Notes for email and in Windows for faxing. And of course the question gets asked, "Would we have this trouble if we used Outlook?"
Argh!