LinkedIn launches apps to boost business productivity

LinkedIn has launched a new set of applications for its users

Business social networking site LinkedIn has today launched a series of new applications from third-party vendors designed to improve productivity and collaboration among business users of the site.

The firm has chosen applications from Google, Amazon, Wordpress and UK-based Huddle, providing functionality such as blog posting, presentations and file management. Users can simply click on the application icon to add them to their profile homepage.

Huddle, which said it is the only non-US application provider chosen for this first wave of LinkedIn announcements, provided the Huddle Workspaces application. The tool offers collaboration, document sharing and discussions within the social networking site, according to co-founder Andy McLoughlin.

"In one click you can create a workspace, invite people in, then get stuff uploaded and get working," he explained.

"LinkedIn is trying to make itself more useful. You can get social networking overload, they can become just another site, so it’s providing a number of collaborative and informative applications."

Firms requiring stronger control over intellectual property and wanting to guard against data leaks may want to upgrade to Huddle's enterprise offerings, which offer more security controls over workspace access, said McLoughlin.