Computing and software giant IBM has announced a set of new applications for its Lotus information management applications at the Lotusphere 2007 conference in Orlando; that lean heavily towards the collaborative modes of information management that Web 2.0 pioneers.

Lotus, traditionally known for providing large corporations with email, calendar, and staff directory applications will now offer users social networking, blogging, a presence in the online world of Second Life, as well as video casting and real time chat.

Lotus Connections is a new addition to the range of applications and allows a user to create their own profile or communities using keywords, which can then be searched by other Lotus users within the organisation. Experts at the conference in the US are talking of Lotus Connections as being a Facebook style development.

A further collaboration application announced was Lotus Quickr, which allows conferencing in real time from different locations. The latest version of the instant messaging application Lotus Sametime now supports video chat.

Technical support for Lotus has entered into another dimension with the announcement that a Lotusphere complex has been launched in Second Life to provide the residents of the virtual world with advice and tutorials on collaborating with Lotus.

IBM said at their conference they hope these applications will ensure that new generations of workers that are used to using Web 2.0 technology will find Lotus has the tools they are comfortable with. Major corporations like the security of workers communicating and collaborating through Lotus as it provides information management tools for capturing and backing up information for legal purposes.