IBM ties social networking into cloud platform

IBM has unveiled a new service for its Lotus Live online service platform.

Dubbed Lotus Live Connections, the new service will aim to match up the company's current online communications services with new social networking components.

IBM plans to launch the Connections service June 30.

The company said that it would be designed to help enterprises interact both internally and outside of the company to better collaborate with other individuals and companies on projects.

Users can access the service to do such things as collaborate on projects and share information on upcoming activities. The service will also offer instant messaging and file sharing capabilities.

"IBM is an established leader in two major trends: cloud computing and social networking for business," said Bob Picciano, general manager for IBM Lotus software.

"LotusLive Connections brings companies of all sizes the ability to build, share information and easily work with their extended business network over the Web."

The new service will be part of IBM's ongoing LotusLive platform.

First unveiled in January, the platform aims to compete with other online productivity and collaboration suites such as Google Apps, as well as traditional software offerings from rivals such as Microsoft.