IBM Lotus SmartSuite

Lotus SmartSuite
Company type	Software
Industry	Office software suite
Founder	Lotus Software
Defunct	September 2014
Fate	Discontinued; no successor offered
Area served	Microsoft Windows, IBM OS/2
Products	Office suite (Lotus Word Pro, Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus Freelance Graphics, Lotus Approach, Lotus Organizer, Lotus SmartCenter, Lotus FastSite, Lotus ScreenCam, Lotus vCard & vCalendar Viewer)
Owner	IBM (after acquisition of Lotus Software)
Parent	IBM

SmartSuite was an office suite created by Lotus Software for the IBM OS/2 and Microsoft Windows operating systems, which has since been discontinued.

Status

SmartSuite is no longer actively maintained or supported. It previously entered a maintenance mode phase, during which updates were issued to address compatibility with Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Although IBM does not officially endorse SmartSuite on Windows versions beyond XP, the software continues to function on both 32-bit and 64-bit variants of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11.

The OS/2 edition of SmartSuite was included with eComStation 1.0 and became optional in later versions. While ArcaOS does not come pre-installed with SmartSuite, it supports running the application.

In 2007, IBM introduced a different office suite named IBM Lotus Symphony, which is unrelated to Lotus’s earlier integrated suite bearing the same title.

As of July 2012, the retail price for a user license of Lotus SmartSuite version 9.8 was US$342 when acquired directly from IBM.

IBM announced the discontinuation of SmartSuite in May 2013, ceasing sales by June 2013 and ending support by September 2014. The company confirmed that no successor product would be offered.

Components

The Microsoft Windows edition of SmartSuite comprises these principal programs:

Lotus Word Pro — a word processing application; originally Ami Pro; compatible with .lwp file format
Lotus 1-2-3 — a spreadsheet tool; supports .123, .wk1, .wk3, .wk4 file types
Lotus Freelance Graphics — software for presentations; uses .prz files
Lotus Approach — a relational database system; manages .apr (data entry and reports) and .dbf files
Lotus Organizer — a personal information manager; works with various .org and .or? file extensions
Lotus SmartCenter — a toolbar providing rapid access to applications, calendar functions, and Internet bookmarks
Lotus FastSite — software for web design; produces .htm files
Lotus ScreenCam — screen capture software designed for demonstrations and tutorials; handles .scm, .exe, and .wav files
Lotus vCard & vCalendar Viewer — an instant viewer for vCard and vCalendar formats

Microsoft Windows

1994: SmartSuite 2.1 (included Ami Pro 3.0, 1-2-3 version 4.0, Freelance Graphics 2.0, Approach 2.0, Organizer 1.1)
1995: SmartSuite 3.1 (for Windows 3.11) — upgraded to Lotus 1-2-3 version 5, Approach 3.0, Ami Pro 3.1, Freelance Graphics 2.1, Organizer 2.1, ScreenCam 1.1
1995: SmartSuite 4.0 (Windows 3.11) — introduced revised pricing structure alongside updated Word Pro, Organizer, and ScreenCam editions
1996: SmartSuite 97 (for Windows 95/NT 4.0) — featured updated core applications plus SmartCenter and ScreenCam version 4.0
1997: SmartSuite 4.5 (Windows 3.11) — Word Pro 97 Edition released for Windows 3.1 with added Internet functionality
1999: SmartSuite Millennium Edition (version 9.5) — included Organizer version 5.0, FastSite release 2, as well as Millennium Editions of WordPro, 1-2-3, Freelance Graphics, Approach, SmartCenter, and ScreenCam
October 2002: Release of SmartSuite Millennium Edition version 9.8; Fixpack 2 marked the final publicly available update

Later Fixpacks (3 in October 2005; 4 in October 2006; 5 in October 2007; and 6 in December 2008) were distributed exclusively to IBM Passport Advantage customers and primarily addressed updates to Lotus Approach database features

Compatibility

The majority of SmartSuite applications are capable of both opening and saving files compatible with Microsoft Office. Nonetheless, Microsoft Office discontinued support for Lotus file formats starting in 2003. Certain SmartSuite modules include distinctive functionalities not found in Microsoft Office, such as Lotus FastSite and Lotus SmartCenter.

IBM vs Microsoft

During the United States v. Microsoft case, Judge Jackson concluded that IBM's endorsement of Lotus SmartSuite and other competitors prompted Microsoft to retaliate against IBM PC Company by imposing higher costs, postponing Windows 95 licensing, and restricting access to technical assistance and marketing resources.

Microsoft granted IBM OEM rights for Windows 95 a mere 15 minutes prior to the official launch on August 24, 1995. This last-minute approval resulted in IBM computers initially being sold without Windows 95 pre-installed, unlike rivals such as Compaq and HP, whose systems were available with the operating system already loaded.

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