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IBM today announced WebSphere Portal Server, a new addition to the WebSphere Portal 6.0 portfolio that gives businesses the ability to deploy so-called "composite applications."

Composite applications -- applications that consist of pieces of other applications -- are also known as custom applications, portals, Web applications, Web services, or complex applications. They are becoming more popular with certain strata of workers -- members of a sales force, for example. Salespeople have disparate software applications that make it possible to do their jobs: software for contacts, ERP, a file system, etc. Composite applications bring this information together in one place.

Such applications are growing in popularity. Forrester research has suggested that 80 percent of new application development is going to be in composite applications, rather than more-traditional apps.

IBM's WebSphere Portal Server includes new collaborative features with templates built on a services oriented architecture platform that can be saved for easy customization, deployment, and re-use by different groups.

By using J2EE code (Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition) as a foundation to other portal products, users can create and combine content from a variety of sources to create solutions such as financial management, customer relationship management, and enterprise resource planning.

"As our customer portals mature, we're seeing a growing demand for composite applications," said IBM Business Partner Dennis Rot, Portal Architect, Portico Consultancy. "Portal Server will meet our customers needs for portal solutions that reduce existing administrative loads and offer an enhanced user experience."

Mike Rhodin of IBM's Workplace, Portal and Collaboration Software department, said that Portal Server, "can help customers improve their operational efficiency and productivity by linking people to the right information."

New components of the IBM WebSphere Portal Server include: