Lotus wants Web action

Lotus Development has begun beta testing a development tool for building Web applications atop its Notes groupware server.

Net.Action, due to ship in the fourth quarter, is a template-driven Web site design, creation, and management tool that works with Lotus' Web-ready version of Notes, called Domino, also due later this year.

Lotus is fighting to maintain market share and to make Notes a viable competitor to Web server software from Microsoft and Netscape Communications, which can cost less to install and maintain, according to analysts.

Net.Action includes multimedia and editing tools, such as text conversion utilities, an HTML editor, a graphics editor, clip art support, image mapping, and video and sound tools, according to Lotus. Also included are automated workflow tools for circulating Web site content among multiple site for approval.

Users can access Net.Action via a Web browser or Notes client software.

Lotus has not announced pricing.