IBM launches web conferencing service

IBM is looking to help customers save money on travel expenses

IBM has tossed a new offering into the hosted conferencing market.

The company is launching a new version of the Lotus Sametime Unyte service. The web-based application allows users to set up conferences over the web.

To push the service, the company has announced a distribution deal with online meeting host InterCall. The partnership will allow InterCall's existing customers to use the Sametime Unyte service when the new programme launches on 1 January.

Additionally, the new version of the Sametime Unyte service will add support for the Lotus Notes and Sametime instant messaging programs. All three services will be offered by way of a single dashboard.

The company hopes that the new service and InterCall deal will help Sametime Unyte gain a stronger foothold in an online conference market already dominated by such heavyweights as Cisco's WebEx service.

IBM also hopes that the service will catch on with companies looking for a way to cut costs in the midst of the economic downturn.

"Sametime Unyte delivers the reliability businesses expect from IBM, while offering the inherent ease of access and pricing associated with cloud services, " said Sean Poulley, vice president of online collaboration services for IBM Lotus.

"At a time when companies are becoming more environmentally aware and focused on reducing travel expenses without slowing their growth, IBM's new partnership with InterCall shows how we’re helping businesses ‘go global’ at a minimal cost and 'go green' at the same time."