November 12, 2006
Intel is spearheading the creation of a software suite that includes
blogging, wiki and content syndication software, all aimed at the enterprise
application market.
Dubbed SuiteTwo, Intel's new product will feature software from SocialText Inc.,
NewsGator Technologies Inc., SimpleFeed Inc. and Six Apart Ltd., all considered
part of the Web 2.0 Internet application developers.
As a whole, Web 2.0 applications are those developed after the dot-com crash
and most of them share certain traits: they are usually built on open-standards
architectures, are browser-based, employ reusable components, and focus on
encouraging collaboration, integration and interaction among its users.
SpikeSource Inc. will support the suite and help Intel with its distribution.
SuiteTwo will be aimed at small and medium size businesses initially, with plans
to place it later in the enterprise market as well, said Lisa Lambert, managing
director of the software and solutions group at Intel Capital, Intel's venture
capital organization.
The move proves that Web 2.0 applications, most of which were originally
developed to serve the consumer market, are increasingly being adapted for use in
corporate organizations, said Michael Goulde, a Forrester Research Inc. analyst.
"It's the first time anybody has taken some of these new applications together
and made them into a package that can be easily implemented," Goulde said.
Overall, IT departments are becoming more and more familiar with these Web 2.0
applications. However, they aren't entirely sure how to deploy them in a safe
and controlled manner.
"With a lot of them, after you download them, it's up
to you to support them, so IT managers are a little reluctant to make them a
part of their regular business applications," Goulde said.
"So having the support behind these new applications is very important" Goulde added.
Intel has chosen the applications well, since wikis, blogs and content
syndication applications are proving very convenient and useful in workplace
environments, Goulde said.
For Intel, it's good business to support any new technologies that users find
useful.
Meanwhile, the application vendors obtain a powerful distribution channel into
the business market that helps them gain access to customers they may not otherwise
reach, Goulde said.
Intel plans to grow the suite to include podcasting, social networking and
mobile applications, Intel's Lambert said.
Intel's SuiteTwo will be positioned as an integrated set of tools for
internal and external business communications.
The applications have been given a single sign-on feature and a common user
interface. Intel will initially optimize them for its server hardware, and later
possibly for its desktop PC and mobile platforms, Lambert said.
Intel will encourage its partners, like resellers, distributors and OEMs (original
equipment manufacturers) to adopt the suite and bundle it with their products.
The suite will be available to early-access customers by the end of this year,
with broad availability expected in the first quarter of 2007. It will run on
server operating systems from Red Hat Inc., Novell Inc. and Microsoft Corp.
Intel will officially unveil SuiteTwo at a press conference Nov. 14 at the
Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco.
Source: IT World Canada
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