SmartSuite is an office suite from IBM's Lotus Software group. IBM purchased Lotus in 1995 and Lotus made versions for IBM's OS/2, as well as Windows versions.Lotus WordPro screenshot, showing the Page layout InfoBox, a menu tool common to all the SmartSuite programs.

The following applications are included in SmartSuite for Microsoft Windows:

Lotus Word Pro - word processor (previously called Ami Pro) .lwp-files

Lotus 1-2-3 - spreadsheet .123 .wk1 .wk3 .wk4-files

Lotus Freelance Graphics - presentation software .prz-files

Lotus Approach - relational database .apr (data entry & reports) .dbf (database) -files

Lotus Organizer - personal information manager .org .or2 .or3-files

Lotus SmartCenter - a toolbar that let users quickly access programs, their calendar, Internet bookmarks, and other resources

Lotus FastSite - web design software.htm-files

Lotus ScreenCam - recording of screen activity for demos and tutorials.scm .exe .wav-files

Most or all SmartSuite programs are capable of reading and writing the corresponding Microsoft Office files. The Microsoft programs, however, are capable of reading only a few vintage formats of the Lotus programs, such as the older 1-2-3 .wks and .wk1 files. Furthermore, several of the SmartSuite components provide functionality not found in the Microsoft Office suite, for example Lotus FastSite and Lotus SmartCenter.

SmartSuite is in maintenance mode, and supported with fixes and fixpacks on Windows 2000 and Windows XP. SmartSuite is not officially supported by IBM on the Windows Vista operating system, but it does work on the 32-bit version of Vista if the installer and applications are run in XP compatibility mode (this isn't needed to install or run Organizer 6). IBM has no plans to release specific Vista-compatible versions of SmartSuite or Organizer.

In 2007, IBM introduced a new office suite called Lotus Symphony.

Version history

Microsoft Windows

1994 - 2.1 (Ami Pro 3.0, 1-2-3 4.0, Freelance Graphics 2.0, Approach 2.0 and Organizer 1.1)

SmartSuite 3.1 (Windows 3.11) - (Lotus 1-2-3 vers. 5, Approach 3.0, Ami Pro 3.1, Freelance Graphics 2.1, Organizer 2.1, ScreenCam 1.1).

(1996) - SmartSuite 97 - Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 (1-2-3 97, Word Pro 97, Approach 97, Freelance Graphics 97, Organizer 97, ScreenCam 4.0 and SmartCenter)

(1999) - SmartSuite Millennium Edition (9.5) - (Organizer 5.0, Fastsite release 2, WordPro Millennium Edition, 1-2-3 Millennium Edition, Freelance Graphics Millennium Edition, Approach Millennium Edition, SmartCenter and ScreenCam).

October 2002: Latest version: SmartSuite Millennium Edition 9.8. Fixpack 3 was released in October 2005 and Fixpack 4 in October 2006.

IBM versus Microsoft

In his finding of facts for United States v. Microsoft, Judge Jackson determined that because of IBM's marketing of Lotus SmartSuite, and other alternatives to Microsoft products, Microsoft "punished the IBM PC Company with higher prices, a late license for Windows 95, and the withholding of technical and marketing support."IBM wasn't granted OEM rights for Windows 95 until 15 minutes prior to the release of Windows 95, August 24, 1995. Because of this uncertainty, IBM machines were sold without Windows 95, while Compaq, HP and other indulgent companies sold machines with Windows 95 from day one.