IBM has announced that it now lets users create, customize and use Internet applications with free Google Gadgets, as ready-to-use services, for its WebSphere Portal and WebSphere Portal Express Version 6.0 customers. Users will now be able to choose from nearly 4,000 Google Gadgets such as language translators, package delivery tracking, Podcast searches, Wikipedia information and YouTube postings among others.
IBM is also announcing its search sitemap utility, based on a new sitemap protocol that will make it possible to optimize publication of portal content for improved search by public search engines. This feature also includes the ability to notify search engines of the update frequency, last modification date, and relative priority of the content that is being published. More information about the Sitemap protocol can be found at: http://www.sitemaps.org/.
According to IBM, the benefits of Google Gadgets services available from within WebSphere Portal include increased access to a new set of Web-based communities and social networks. Also, by exposing Web 2.0 style information as portlets, business users get instant access to expertise and information available through such resources as National Science Digital Library, the Economics Search Engine, and Google Maps.
Moreover, Customers can easily assemble Google Gadgets utilities and services with IBM and IBM Business Partner applications to apply ready-to-use consumer applications with pre-configured portal business and industry solutions for faster, more focused organizational responsiveness. Also, users will be able to create links that increase the content value stored in Google gadgets. With Google 'Search Gadgets' users can select the utility or service of their choice to display in their portlet. Users can also customize Google Gadgets with WebSphere Portal and can view and customize Google Gadgets directly inline from the WebSphere Portal user interface.
The IBM Portlet for Google Gadgets will be available in April via IBM WebSphere Portal catalog. WebSphere Portal Version 6.0 customers, including those using WebSphere Portal Express and WebSphere Portal Server Version 6.0 are entitled to use Google Gadgets, free of charge.
Enablement for the Sitemap 0.90 protocol will be delivered for WebSphere Portal as a sitemap utility that customers can download from the WebSphere Portal catalog later in 2007.
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