IBM Introduces Analysis Tool for Lotus Connections

IBM announced the availability of social networking visualization and analysis tool Atlas for its enterprise social networking product Lotus Connections to help organizations maximize their investment in social software by answering questions about key experts on given topics and how they are connected.

Lotus Connection is IBM’s social networking software introduced in December 2007, which can be used to create profiles, communities, blogs and to manages files, emails and messages received or sent to other people using the software.

Atlas consists of four Web 2.0-based components named My Net, Find, Reach and Net, which helps users spot the important connections and the relationships between various groups. It will also enable users to navigate their personal and corporate networks.

IBM describing the four components said that the Net component provides a visual indication of the important hubs among topic experts and informal groups that have developed while working on similar projects. This helps users to identify communication gaps between groups and manage skills across the organization. The My Net component offers similar capabilities for a user’s personal network.

The Reach component is the social dashboard feature in Atlas, which helps users navigate among six degrees of separation that divide them from a colleague. It shows users the shortest path to reach an expert and ranks the expert based on the level of interaction across the network. The Find component searches beyond the corporate directory to include results based on social data such as reporting structures, blogs and communities.

“When you apply social software to business processes, it’s critical to see and understand the relationships between groups, people and information,” said Jeff Schick, vice president of social software at IBM Lotus. “Atlas helps workers navigate their social networks and use these relationships to rally around ideas and projects instead of using organization charts. This speeds decision making and improves efficiency.”

Atlas is available via services engagements through IBM Software Services for Lotus.

Source: ComputerWire daily updates