IBM warms to social networking
IBM is adding social networking features to its collaboration suite, an effort to bring some of the ideas of consumer-oriented Web 2.0 sites to corporate software.
The guiding idea behind the effort is to help people tap into the collective knowledge of their co-workers, in much the way consumer social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook connect people online.
"The real phenomenon of Web 2.0 is the concept of community," Rhodin said. "What if you could create tools that allow you to tap into the collaborative wisdom of a community?"
IBM's collaboration software--namely, its Notes client software, Sametime instant messaging, and Web portal software--will gain capabilities from a project called IBM Community Tools, said Michael Rhodin, the general manager of IBM's Lotus division.
