Mainsoft to link IBM's Jazz and Lotus Connections

Mainsoft is looking to link business executives into the software development process by integrating the IBM Rational Team Concert collaborative environment and IBM's Lotus Connections collaboration platform.

Referred to for now as Mainsoft's "IBM Lotus Connections Integration with Rational Jazz," the software links Team Concert beyond just software developers, using Connections to add in other persons, such as product marketing groups or lawyers who need to participate in the process, said Yaacov Cohen, CEO of Mainsoft. Jazz is IBM's collaborative application lifecycle management platform, which features Team Concert. Last year, IBM launched a similar initiative aimed at improving the quality of software development.

"We're bringing in social features to the software delivery process," Cohen said. Developers using Team Concert can connect with enterprise stakeholders. Access is provided to Lotus Connection blogs, wikis, communities and activities from within the development environment.

The preview is available for download at the Jazz community website.

A general release of the software is planned for the first half of 2010. The software was developed in collaboration with IBM.

Plans call for Mainsoft to also integrate Team Concert with social networking features of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server in the near future. Mainsoft already links to documentation collaboration in SharePoint.

Mainsoft might also undertake to link Jazz to the Facebook social networking platform at some point. "I would see that as a potential next step," Cohen said.