IBM extends BlackBerry services

IBM is extending the integration between its Lotus Notes collaboration and Research in Motion's BlacbBerry smartphones. BlackBerry client for Lotus Connections will allow users to securely manage contact, schedules and share documents.

The two firms said that this will provide an enterprise-class social network for employees, which will improve productivity while maintaining security.

"As the world enters the 'Era of the Mobile Web,' mobile devices like BlackBerry are outnumbering TVs, credit cards and PCs, and are becoming increasingly critical to business operations for companies of all sizes globally," said Bob Picciano, general manager of Lotus Software, in a statement.

"The organizational and personal benefits of the Lotus collaboration suite together with the mobility and security advantages of the widely-adopted BlackBerry platform provide an unmatched solution for enterprise customers," said Jim Balsillie, Co-chief executive at Research In Motion in a statement.

In related news, IBM said its was shipping a version of its Cognos business intelligence software tailored for use on the BlackBerry. It will allow customers to view real-time analysis on business operations from their business on their BlackBerrys.

IBM also announced its Global Services division was ramping up its hosted BlackBerry service, adding additional consulting, systems integration services.