The Army is switching its e-mail software for tactical messaging from Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange 5.5, and hoping to save time and money in the future.

The contractor that was providing Lotus Notes, Lockheed Martin Corp., asked for substantial funds to keep updating the product to work with the Army's Army Battle Command System (ABCS), said Bill Stapleton. He is a technical management division chief in the product manager office of the Defense Message System for the Standard Army Management Information Systems.

It was cheaper to switch, Stapleton said.

The Army has paid Nexor and Microsoft $50,000 for a 45-day integration effort, Stapleton said. That tested the capability and...