WebSphere Portal 6.0 includes support for AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript + XML), a drag-and-drop rapid application development environment and the use of templates to construct applications and application components.

WebSphere Portal is a member of IBM's stable of Workplace software, and the Workplace platform will eventually incorporate Notes Hannover into its Eclipse-based managed client framework.

This integration brings competitive challenges, primarily from Microsoft, and it also brings challenges in guiding customers to deliver these Workplace environments to their organizations, says Bisconti.

"We also face challenges in helping customers plan the introduction of SOA [service-oriented architecture]. A lot of customers are really wrestling with the idea of how to roll out SOA technologies. We are giving them guidance around starting with portal projects and then expanding that."

The goal for Workplace is to introduce collaboration into key business applications, says Bisconti.