First stop for IBM is to replace the functionality of the Notes NSF store with technology driven by DB2. But Notes and Domino are mature products; their administrators understand all the products' idiosyncrasies, and they're understandably leery of adding DB2 administrators to the mix.

Notes administrators also are unsure of DB2's ability to handle replication as well as NSF does. And they're worried about having to convert the tons of existing LotusScript code in use. Why mess with something that works well?

To understand IBM's motives, you must look at the technology, products and market equally. NSF's technology is reaching its limits. From the Notes user's perspective, it's slow. And just think of the applications you'll be able to build using established standards and the WebSphere platform. Meanwhile, Lotus' rivals aren't sitting still. Microsoft has opened Exchange to its relational database and directory service. And pointed Web-based collaboration tools, such as eRoom and Intraspect, are gaining popularity.

One could argue that the very future of Domino/Notes depends on this move. However, many technical challenges await IBM, especially if the company wants to make the infrastructure migration seamless for its customers. At the end of the day, though, you'll have to either evolve with IBM or start saying your good-byes to Lotus.