IBM has added social networking features to its Lotus enterprise workgroup software. 

The intention is to allow large organisations to make relationships between subject experts, knowledge resources and project teams based on business need rather than corporate hierarchy and regardless of traditional business divisions.

IBM hopes that this will save time and duplication of effort, and cut through company bureaucracy.

Lotus Connections comprises five components: Activities, Communities, Profiles, Blogs, and a shared book-marking facility known as 'Dogear'.

One of the first implementations of Lotus Connections is on Partnerworld, the sprawling website for resellers and systems integrators of IBM systems and services. 

IBM said in a statement that Lotus Connections for Partners is a " collaborative environment where partners can build relationships regardless of location, business size or area of expertise" allowing partners to "share expertise, explore business ideas and develop opportunities with each other and IBM".