IBM: Lotus Notes for iPhone not ready yet

Despite reports that the launch of Lotus Notes for the iPhone and iPod Touch is imminent, IBM says it is not quite ready to release the software.

A formal announcement of Lotus Notes for Apple's portable devices was to occur at IBM's Lotusphere conference this week, with the software available free for users with a Lotus Web-access license or on a yearly subscription basis for new users, according to a report by Associated Press.

IBM is, however, not ready to put out the software. "It's not something that (is) ready to go out and market or launch," an IBM spokesperson told ZDNet Australia.

The spokesperson said that speculation over the release may have been prompted by an earlier demonstration of the software by IBM.

The release of Lotus Notes for the iPhone and iPod may drive adoption of the devices by business users. Analyst house Gartner recently warned enterprises against adopting the iPhone, saying the device could "punch a hole" through corporate security systems.

However, Kevin McIsaac, an analyst at research firm IBRS, said he's not sure Lotus Notes will have a large impact on enterprise adoption of the device. "I can't really imagine someone who's really hip and cool--like an iPhone user--wanting to use Lotus Notes," he said.

Suzanne Tindal of ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney.