The history of Domino and Notes
The history of the Domino and Notes software products spans almost four decades and is full of changes. From start-up to global corporation, different owners have shaped the product and influenced the application market with solutions based on the software. Read on to discover the fascinating milestones in the origin and development of Domino and Notes. We look forward to the next decades of the product – #dominoforever.
1970s At the CERL (Computer Education Research Laboratory) of the University of Illinois, a Message boardThe application is being developed under the name “Notes”.
1984 The company "Iris Associates" was founded by graduates of CERL. It has a close cooperation with the company "Lotus".
1985 A first version of Notes is introduced under the Windows operating system.
1988 “Iris Associates” is being acquired by the company “Lotus”.
Until 1991 Lotus Notes is used exclusively in projects and is not officially available.
1996 The company "Lotus" is being acquired by the IT giant "IBM". A purchase price of approximately 4 billion US dollars has been agreed upon (main product Lotus Notes). With version Notes 4.5, the new brand "Domino" is being introduced for the server.
2002 IBM Notes is the first widely used software product to offer comprehensive encryption. The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) secures client and server connections (64-bit key length, instead of the previous 40 bits – made possible by an agreement with the NSA). A milestone in security.
2008 IBM releases XPages technology, based on JavaServer Faces. This allows IBM Domino applications to be better deployed to browser clients..
2012 IBM decides to discontinue the Lotus brand. Products will henceforth be marketed under the name "IBM".
2013 With the release of version 9, the product is renamed "IBM Notes." This is the last major release for the time being; no significant updates are expected until 2017. The software takes a back seat, with blockchain, artificial intelligence (Watson), cloud computing, and security initially taking priority for IBM.
2017 IBM announces a partnership with Indian service provider HCL Technologies. Declining revenues necessitate cost-cutting measures and layoffs. HCL will take over the development and service of Notes, Domino, and Sametime. Sales and marketing will remain with IBM. HCL will receive a share of the revenue, and both companies plan a new release, version 10. HCL is focused on growth rather than stagnation; many IBM employees will be transferred to HCL, and new ones will be hired.
2018 HCL presents new versions of Notes V10, Domino V10, Verse on Premises 1.0.5, and Verse Mobile 9.5.1. HCL emphasizes transparency, modernity, and integrates customer feedback into product development. The partner community breathes a sigh of relief and looks forward to future developments.
2019 HCL Technologies is buying IBM's Collaboration Portfolio (including the products Domino, Notes and Sametime) for approximately US$1,8 billion.
2021 HCL Technologies releases version 12. The new version opens the platform for simplified access via the browser (HCL Nomad) and integrates user management with Microsoft Active Directory.
2023 With version 14, HCL Domino and Notes continues to evolve. A modernized REST API, user management for non-administrators, and an enhanced Domino restyle are now available.
2025 Release 14.5 brings improvements to AutoUpdate and AutoInstall, initial AI-powered features with Domino IQ, and enhancements to the REST API. Security and integration of modern authentication services have been further optimized.
| Version | publication |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | Dec. 1989 |
| 1.1 | Aug. 1990 |
| 2 | 1991 |
| 3 | May 1993 |
| 3.1 | Feb 23, 1994 |
| 3.2 | Oct. 4th, 1994th |
| 3.3 | Feb 23, 1995 |
| 4 | Jan. 22, 1996 |
| 5 | 1999 |
| 6.0 | Sep 2002 |
| 7.0 | Aug. 2005 |
| 7.0.1 | Jul 2006 |
| 7.0.2 | Sep 2006 |
| 8.0 | Aug. 2007 |
| 8.5 | Dec. 2008 |
| 9.0.0 | March 21, 2013 |
| 9.0.1 FP8 | March 7, 2017 |
| 10 | Oct. 10th, 2018th |
| 11 | Dec 20, 2019 |
| 12.0 | 07 Jun 2021 |
| 12.0.1 | Dec 14, 2021 |
| 12.0.2 | Dec 15, 2023 |
| 14.0.0 | Dec 7, 2023 |
| 14.5 | 17 Jul 2025 |
Versions
Release 1.0The first 35.000 copies of Lotus Notes will be sold with applications such as group mail and group phone book, as well as templates for creating custom applications.
Release 2.0: With ever-increasing demand, Notes has been optimized for greater performance in the following areas: Additional formula language @functions, address search in emails, multiple name and address books, return receipt for email memos, forwarding of documents from the inbox, larger databases and desktop files.
Release 3.0: The ability to support up to 200 users on one server makes Notes interesting for large companies, in addition to some new screen features.
Release 4.0: Introduction of Lotus Script and integration of a web browser. With Release 4.5 Lotus was renamed Domino, and the calendar function, Domino.Action, and unrestricted web access from the Notes client, as well as numerous other innovations, were introduced.
Release 5.0 Web support has been further expanded and the servers will become independent, thus enabling, for example, the use of JavaScript, the ability to read and write messages regardless of which email provider is used, and overall, all web applications will be supported.
Release 6.0: IBM responded to the dominance of its competitors with lower pricing and a new, more feature-rich Notes client. The possibilities for transferring and reusing application code have been expanded. Release 6.5 enabled closer integration with other IBM/Lotus products.
Release 7.0: Domino 7 servers now supported applications on DB2 databases, as well as improved web integration. Enhanced encryption improved security. Behind the scenes, server performance was also improved.
Release 8.0Included quick access to frequently used applications, extensions to the client, business, and mail applications, enabled by the Eclipse framework. Release 8.5 expands the integration capabilities of the Eclipse client and related applications.
Release 9.0Provides optimized client support (browser or native client and mobile devices such as iOS, Android, BlackBerry 10 and Windows 8), as well as improved support for the mobile applications Notes Traveler, Companion and Notes Traveler ToDo.
Release 10.0: IBM Verse on-premises and Sametime Chat are released. Along with these are improved security features, easier integration of the Domino server, user-friendliness, and application development in the area of support for modern standards such as Node.js and Bootstrap 4.
Release 11.0, Available from December 2019, it includes improved applications for administrators, business users and developers.
Release 12.0, Consistent further development starting in 2021. Extensions such as HCL Nomad Web, the new REST API or Domino Leap will be integrable.
Release 14.0, Available from December 2023, latest version with simplified user management and significantly improved security.
Release 14.5With this release, HCL Software continues its consistent modernization of Domino and Notes. Particularly noteworthy are improvements in manageability, including enhanced auto-update and auto-install functions that enable even faster and simpler server maintenance. The integration of Domino IQ brings AI-powered functions directly to the platform for the first time, allowing, for example, text analysis to be performed locally. Security is also further enhanced, and interaction with modern authentication and identity services is optimized. For developers, version 14.5 brings additional REST API extensions and improvements to web application development.
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