IBM`s updated portal software maximises infrastructure, administrative skills

IBM`s new version (5) of WebSphere Portal, including an Express package tailored to the needs of the mid-market, gives organisations all the benefits of integrative and collaborative technology without having to incur the cost and disruption of actually integrating underlying systems.

WebSphere Portal v5 adds productivity and collaborative tools to an earlier focus on application and systems integration and optimised presentation of functions such as e-mail.

"In other words, you get a one-size-fits-all, single sign-on interface with both internal and external information sources - giving you complete flexibility to deliver applications, content, workspaces, e-mail, documents, spreadsheets and presentations to your users, on their access device of choice," says IBM SA`s WebSphere and Lotus technical sales lead, Mark Mallabone.

WebSphere Portal v5 is designed to enable businesses to centrally manage and automate the process of searching for current and relevant organisational information and then integrating, routing and managing it - saving time and increasing productivity.

The software`s new co-operative portlets functionality, built on its popular "click to action" feature, eases distribution of information from one application to another. This removes the need for the application owner to build his own connections between different applications.

WebSphere Portal v5 also includes out-of the-box document management functions - enabling businesses to centrally share, organise, integrate, manage and edit business information such as financial reports, product specification sheets or sales documents. They can therefore track versions to manage the document`s evolution, and control access to manage viewing privileges.

New productivity tools enable users to view, create, convert and edit basic text, spreadsheet and presentation files from within their portal, significantly cutting the cost and trouble of managing such files on individual desktops.

In addition, WebSphere Portal`s ease-of-use has been improved and its installation process simplified, providing faster time to value.

The software also features performance improvements, more reliable mission-critical functionality and faster integration of existing back-end and enterprise applications via Portlet Application Integrator portlet builders.

"All the thinking behind the new version of WebSphere Portal has been based on keeping it simple," Mallabone says. "That way the customer gets a more resilient, flexible and adaptive business environment."

IBM has also enhanced the search capabilities and powerful teaming and collaboration functionality within the portal.

The portal can search across a variety of data stores, including IBM DB2 Content Manager and Universal Database, Oracle, IBM Lotus Domino, popular Web search engines and text or HTML documents. And it incorporates more advanced document filters, provides relevant summaries of content within documents and categorises results based on search parameters.

In addition, WebSphere Portal v5 includes Lotus` Collaboration Center, allowing users to interact with multiple collaboration applications - such as corporate white pages, organisational charts, instant messaging, team workplaces and virtual meetings - to increase individual and organisational productivity.

With the Express product, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and departments within large organisations need only a few clicks of the mouse to customise a page layout, add new portlets and users, and completely change the portal`s look and feel.

The software also includes instant messaging, online "people-awareness" and chat, virtual team rooms, group calendaring and task management.