IBM launches mobile software development lab; new applications

IBM has created a new software development lab in Massachusetts in a move to design enterprise-grade mobile applications. In addition, the company rolled out a series of mobile applications.

The company said Wednesday that it will launch IBM Mass Lab, which will house 3,400 employees to focus on mobile computing for the enterprise. The Mass Lab will be IBM's largest software lab in North America. IBM added that the lab will focus on 4G and better network management, gaming, IP telephony and multimedia.

Among the key projects at Mass Lab:

• Self-optimizing networks: An effort to create networks that can heal and configure themselves. IBM aims to embed intelligence into the network.
• Mail Triage: An effort to assess email and messages based on whether a user is mobile or at a desktop. The idea is to prioritize email for mobile users.
• Vertical applications: IBM is targeting mobile payment systems in the financial sector; customer data for retailers and remote healthcare monitoring.

In addition, IBM, which bills itself as mobile's best kept secret, announced mobile applications. Among them:

• IBM Intelligent Site Operations software aims to make it easier to manage cellular towers via remote diagnostics and repair. The software allows communications providers to analyze and manage cell sites to ensure availability and cut down on power consumption.
• Lotus Notes on Android. IBM said it will bring its Lotus Notes collaboration software to the Android platform. IBM's collaboration suite is already available on Research in Motion's BlackBerry, Apple's iPhone and iPad and various Nokia devices.
• Mobile widgets for various business processes. IBM WebSphere CEA Mobile Widgets aim to meld collaboration with customer service. IBM claims that these widgets bridge voice and Web communications to make insurance claims and retail sales go faster.