The Outblaze asset adds Web-based email to IBM's portfolio of online collaboration tools, said IBM. Subscribers will be able to instantly provision email accounts and users can access their e-mail from any computer through any Web browser, Big Blue added.

"IBM is focused on helping businesses, large and small, work smarter to drive innovation up and costs down and this new cloud lab will reinforce that," said Bob Picciano, general manager, IBM Lotus Software. "LotusLive.com will soon include the most secure, scalable, business-ready Web mail in the industry as part of a full-service collaboration suite to help simplify and improve the way organizations work with their customers and partners."