Blackberry Users Gain IBM Business and Collaboration Apps

May 20, 2008 Dan Burger

Wireless capabilities for IBM Lotus users took another step forward when IBM and Research In Motion (RIM) announced last week that IBM’s line of Web 2.0-powered collaboration software and information on demand capabilities have expanded support on the BlackBerry smartphone platform. The tools that Blackberry-equipped mobile users get include portal dashboards, business intelligence (BI), plus advanced collaboration and unified communications software. Portal access comes from WebSphere Portal, BI applications are courtesy of IBM’s recently acquired Cognos technology, and the collaboration apps originate from Lotus Notes, Sametime, Quickr, and Connections.

With a Blackberry in hand, the convenience of communication and collaboration applications formerly tied to the desktop go on the road. Company officials from IBM and RIM emphasized the value of receiving personalized and secure business information while outside the office as well as the benefits that social networking brings to the workplace.

“We find that our enterprise clients increasingly need to extend wireless data capabilities beyond e-mail, and to leverage their enterprise investment on wireless device platforms,” said Gary Cohen, IBM’s General Manager, Global Communications Sector. “We are uniquely well-equipped to enable our enterprise customers to do so on a large scale.”

IBM predicts one billion mobile Web users by 2011 and a significant shift in the way the majority of people will interact with the Web over the next decade. Already there are more people with mobile devices than landline telephones.

The Lotus collaboration software for Blackberry is available now. Users need to download a small application to access the IBM software.