IBM announces platform to track and monitor social data

As part of the IT services giant’s expansion of its software portfolio into the social business arena, IBM has developed Connections Software to allow users to track and trace social media data "on the fly".

IBM suggests that information can be "discovered, analysed and tagged automatically" to meet compliance regulations, versus waiting days for analysis.

The software, which has been developed in partnership with compliance capabilities specialist Actiance, features integrated compliance capabilities and uses microblogs, wikis, communities and activities to collaborate with clients, partners and employees.

IBM’s Connections software, which will go on sale in the third quarter, also features an IdeaBlog, to support the crowdsourcing of ideas across employees and customers.

In a recent report, analyst house Gartner stated that "by the end of 2013, half of all companies will be forced to produce material from social media websites so enterprises need an overall governance strategy for all applications and information."

In light of such pressures, IDC has forecast that the market opportunity for social platforms will grow by a factor of nearly two to $1.8 billion worldwide by 2014.

"The benefits of social business are too great to ignore," said Alistair Rennie, general manager, collaboration solutions, IBM. "With these new advancements around compliance enablement, a social business can confidently activate networks of people to use a variety of collaborative tools, to improve and accelerate innovation."