IBM OfficeVision
Encyclopedia
OfficeVision is an IBM
proprietary office support application that primarily runs on IBM's VM
operating system and its user interface CMS
. Other platform versions are available, notably OV/MVS and OV/400. OfficeVision provides e-mail
, shared calendars, and shared document storage and management, and it provides the ability to integrate word processing applications such as Displaywrite/370
and/or the Document Composition Facility (DCF/SCRIPT).
The advent of the personal computer
and the client–server paradigm changed the way organizations looked at office automation. In particular, office users wanted graphical user interfaces. Thus e-mail applications with PC clients became more popular.
IBM's initial answer was OfficeVision/2, a server-requestor system designed to be the strategic implementation of IBM's Systems Application Architecture
. The server could run on OS/2
, VM, MVS (XA or ESA), or OS/400
, while the requester required OS/2 Extended Edition running on IBM PS/2 personal computers, or DOS. IBM also developed OfficeVision/2 LAN for workgroups, which failed to find market acceptance and was withdrawn in May, 1994. Ultimately, IBM solved its OfficeVision problems through the hostile takeover
of Lotus Software
for its Lotus Notes
product, one of the two most popular products for business e-mail and calendaring.
and Lotus Domino
environments, and IBM offered migration tools and services to assist. Guy Dehond, one of the beta-testers of the AS/400, developed the first migration tool. However, OfficeVision/MVS is still available for sale, still supported, and is another migration option for OfficeVision/VM users. OfficeVision/MVS runs on IBM's z/OS
operating system.
), an IBM administrative term for "not quite supported" software. PROFS was originally developed by IBM in Dallas, in conjunction with Amoco
.
PROFS and its e-mail
component, known colloquially as PROFS Notes, featured prominently in the investigation of the Iran-Contra scandal. Oliver North
believed he had deleted his correspondence, but the system archived it anyway. Congress subsequently examined the e-mail archives.http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/white_house_email/index.html.
OfficeVision/MVS originated from IBM DISOSS
and OfficeVision/400, from IBM Office/36
.
from PROFS, plus document edit, store and search functions, similar to Displaywrite/370.
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
proprietary office support application that primarily runs on IBM's VM
VM (operating system)
VM refers to a family of IBM virtual machine operating systems used on IBM mainframes System/370, System/390, zSeries, System z and compatible systems, including the Hercules emulator for personal computers. The first version, released in 1972, was VM/370, or officially Virtual Machine Facility/370...
operating system and its user interface CMS
Conversational Monitor System
The Conversational Monitor System is a relatively simple interactive computing single-user operating system.* CMS is part of IBM's VM family, which runs on IBM mainframe computers...
. Other platform versions are available, notably OV/MVS and OV/400. OfficeVision provides e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
, shared calendars, and shared document storage and management, and it provides the ability to integrate word processing applications such as Displaywrite/370
DisplayWrite
DisplayWrite was a word processor software application that IBM developed and marketed for its line of IBM PCs. Its document files used the RFT or DCA filename extension, both of which were standards on IBM mainframe computers...
and/or the Document Composition Facility (DCF/SCRIPT).
The advent of the personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and the client–server paradigm changed the way organizations looked at office automation. In particular, office users wanted graphical user interfaces. Thus e-mail applications with PC clients became more popular.
IBM's initial answer was OfficeVision/2, a server-requestor system designed to be the strategic implementation of IBM's Systems Application Architecture
Systems Application Architecture
Systems Application Architecture is a set of standards for computer software, developed by IBM in the 1980s and implemented in IBM operating systems including MVS, OS/400 and OS/2...
. The server could run on OS/2
OS/2
OS/2 is a computer operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2," because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's "Personal System/2 " line of second-generation personal...
, VM, MVS (XA or ESA), or OS/400
OS/400
IBM i is an EBCDIC based operating system that runs on IBM Power Systems. It is the current evolution of the operating system named i5/OS which was originally named OS/400 when it was introduced with the AS/400 computer system in 1988....
, while the requester required OS/2 Extended Edition running on IBM PS/2 personal computers, or DOS. IBM also developed OfficeVision/2 LAN for workgroups, which failed to find market acceptance and was withdrawn in May, 1994. Ultimately, IBM solved its OfficeVision problems through the hostile takeover
Takeover
In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company by another . In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to the acquisition of a private company.- Friendly takeovers :Before a bidder makes an offer for another...
of Lotus Software
Lotus Software
Lotus Software is a software company with headquarters in Westford, Massachusetts...
for its Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes is the client of a collaborative platform originally created by Lotus Development Corp. in 1989. In 1995 Lotus was acquired by IBM and became known as the Lotus Development division of IBM and is now part of the IBM Software Group...
product, one of the two most popular products for business e-mail and calendaring.
Migration
IBM discontinued support of OfficeVision/VM as of October 6, 2003. IBM recommended that its OfficeVision/VM customers migrate to Lotus NotesLotus Notes
Lotus Notes is the client of a collaborative platform originally created by Lotus Development Corp. in 1989. In 1995 Lotus was acquired by IBM and became known as the Lotus Development division of IBM and is now part of the IBM Software Group...
and Lotus Domino
IBM Lotus Domino
Lotus Domino is an IBM server product that provides enterprise-grade e-mail, collaboration capabilities, and a custom application platform. Domino began life as Lotus Notes Server, the server component of Lotus Development Corporation's client-server messaging technology. It can be used as an...
environments, and IBM offered migration tools and services to assist. Guy Dehond, one of the beta-testers of the AS/400, developed the first migration tool. However, OfficeVision/MVS is still available for sale, still supported, and is another migration option for OfficeVision/VM users. OfficeVision/MVS runs on IBM's z/OS
Z/OS
z/OS is a 64-bit operating system for mainframe computers, produced by IBM. It derives from and is the successor to OS/390, which in turn followed a string of MVS versions.Starting with earliest:*OS/VS2 Release 2 through Release 3.8...
operating system.
Earlier PROFS, DISOSS and Office/36
OfficeVision/VM was originally named PROFS (for PRofessional OFfice System) and was initially made available in 1981. Before that it was a PRPQ (Programming Request for Price QuotationRequest Price Quotation
Request Price Quotation or RPQ is a long-standing IBM designation for a product or component that is potentially available, but that is not on the "standard" price list. Typical RPQ offerings are custom interfaces, hardware modifications, research or experimental systems, or variable-cost items. In...
), an IBM administrative term for "not quite supported" software. PROFS was originally developed by IBM in Dallas, in conjunction with Amoco
Amoco
Amoco Corporation, originally Standard Oil Company , was a global chemical and oil company, founded in 1889 around a refinery located in Whiting, Indiana, United States....
.
PROFS and its e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
component, known colloquially as PROFS Notes, featured prominently in the investigation of the Iran-Contra scandal. Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
believed he had deleted his correspondence, but the system archived it anyway. Congress subsequently examined the e-mail archives.http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/white_house_email/index.html.
OfficeVision/MVS originated from IBM DISOSS
DISOSS
DISOSS DISOSS DISOSS (acronym for (DIStributed Office Support System) is a centralized document distribution and filing application for IBM's mainframe computers running the MVS operating system...
and OfficeVision/400, from IBM Office/36
IBM Office/36
Office/36 is software, a suite of applications marketed by IBM from 1983 to 2000 for the IBM System/36 family of midrange computers.Office/36 could be purchased in its entirety, or piecemeal...
.
Earlier ODPS in Far East
OfficeVision/VM for the Far Eastern languages of Japanese, Korean and Chinese, originated from IBM Office and Document Control System (ODPS), a DBCS-enabled portingPorting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
from PROFS, plus document edit, store and search functions, similar to Displaywrite/370.