Collaboration helps the world work smarter

This visualization is a Wordle providing graphical insight to a larger text passage on IBM's Center for Social Software.

This week, IBM is providing an intriguing look into the state of Social Software -- marrying far-reaching Research and our clients' every day practice in collaboration.

At two concurrent events in Cambridge, Mass., IBM is helping people understand how they can work smarter, be more agile and more collaborative.

From a 10,000 foot view, both events are focused on helping people derive greater value from data they use and see every day. But when you get right down to it, the tools these audiences are using to collaborate reflects their preferred method for receiving the data.

For example, this week IBM is hosting its Transparent Text Symposium at the IBM Center for Social Software. The Transparent Text Symposium focuses on how the next wave of analytics will move beyond numeral data to unlock the meaning of textual data. An eclectic group of experts on technology design and government, such as US Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Open Government, MIT Media Lab, The Sunlight Foundation, and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, have convened to discuss visualizations -- making data available to the masses in a visual format (hence creating transparency of the textual data.) An interesting example of social software and collaboration in practice at a research level.

Also this week, IBM is hosting hundreds of leaders from major industries and companies around the world at a two-day collaboration summit. The group is discussing best practices in collaboration and the newest technologies coming out in the collaboration market. In conjunction with the event, IBM is announcing the availability of micro-blogging and other traditionally consumer-collaboration capabilities to IBM's enterprise collaboration software: Lotus Connections. Having micro-blogging, wikis and file sharing features in a business-grade social software platform is yet another way IBM is helping people around the globe connect and collaborate.

Whether its through research into better way to deliver textual data, or delivering enterprise-grade collaboration software to market, IBM is serious about creating a more agile, collaborative and connected business environment. In essence, IBM is helping the world work smarter.