IBM to Introduce Portal Software With Web 2.0 Support

IBM has announced that its new portal software with Web 2.0 support, WebSphere Portal 6.1, will ship this quarter.

According to IBM, the new software is developed to securely combine information from both the enterprise and the web. The expanded Web 2.0 features of IBM WebSphere Portal 6.1 software are expected to help people be more productive and find key information faster.

Its new live text tagging feature allows a user to click on text, in context of the business process being used, and see supporting information right there related to the job at hand.

IBM’s new software also has the ability to instantly update any aspect of a web page without the need to do an entire page refresh, for example, when a person makes an update while placing an on-line order. The elimination of this wait time makes the user’s experience more satisfying.

The portal software will also enable new classes of applications to be created in a much more intuitive and responsive fashion, as well as offer new portlet functionality and increased portal security.

Larry Bowden, vice president of portals and web interactive services at IBM, said: “This is a first-of-its-kind Web 2.0 portal because it helps users interact with the information and people they need around the clock, from the web and from within an organization.”