SMOB is a Semantic MicroBlogging framework that enables an open, distributed and semantic microblogging experience based on state-of-the-art Semantic Web and Linked Data technologies.

It relies on distributed hubs that communicate each other to exchange microblog posts and subscriptions (i.e. following / followers). Anyone can install his own hub and start following other users, while SMOB also allows cross-posting on other platforms such as Twitter.

Website:  smob.me

Google announced today that it will begin integrating real-time search results into its search engine.   The search giant, which had previously announced a search deal with Twitter, will now add search results from Facebook, Myspace, and other microblogging services such as Identi.ca and Jaiku.  The new features will gradually roll out to users over the next few weeks, but will be limited to English-only results for the time being.  A mobile version of Real-time search will be available immediately for iPhone and Android users.  For a demo of the new service, have a look at the video below.

Communote is a microblogging service specifically designed for enterprise use.  Short messages can be shared easily and quickly within teams and projects.  Also hyperlinks and files can be shared.  Microblogs can be open to all users or confidental – just as needed.

Communote is available as online-service or software license for inhouse installations.

Interview with Communardo CEO Dirk Röhrborn

Website: Communote.com
On Twitter: @communote

Socialtext Signals provides microblogging integrated with Socialtext’s enterprise collaboration platform. While it provides a lot of the same great benefits of other microblogging tools like Twitter, it provides many additional benefits as colleagues in a company use it to work towards common goals.

If you want to quickly gather collective insight from a broader group within your organization, without interrupting people, and without multiple threads of long responses, Socialtext Signals is the answer. It amplifies, clarifies and complements other collaboration and gives you fast and widespread information sharing. It is available as part of the Socialtext collaboration platform and is also available in a standalone microblogging appliance.

Website: Socialtext Signals
On Twitter: @Socialtext

Present.ly allows individuals to post short, frequent updates that are tracked or “followed” by others. Unlike Twitter, Present.ly provides a secure and private way to share updates among members of a company, without them being visible to the outside world.

Website:  PresentlyApp.com

CubeTree is an on-demand enterprise collaboration suite that enables customers to create their own entrprise social network.

With CubeTree, employees can:

• share ideas across their organization
• get feedback from people with whom they wouldn’t normally interact
• find thought leaders
• form ad hoc groups that cut across organizational boundaries

CubeTree’s tools include: microblogging, wikis, file sharing, photos, mobile device support, and more.

Video Tour:

Website: CubeTree.com
On Twitter:  @cubetree

IBM Lotus Connections is social software designed specifically for business. Release 2.5 adds a host of new features to help you deliver even more results, including:

Improvements to Communities
Communities can be enhanced with additional tools: communitiy activities, blogs, files, and wikis. Community discussion forums have a new look and now show the number of replies for each topic; community owners can customize the look of their community and move widgets around on the community’s home page.

Wikis
Wikis let you create sites to collaboratively author and share documents. Built-in revision history makes it a snap to roll back to previous versions.

Files
Files makes sharing files with other people a snap, and reduces inbox bloat.

Mobile Access
Support for mobile browser to Lotus Connections Profiles from Apple iPhones or Nokia s60 devices.

Federated Updates
The Connections home page has a new Updates tab that lets you see news items relevant to you from across your social network. Use the “discover” tab to easily browse content from across all of connections.

Microblogging
Profiles now features status updates and a profile “board” that lets you easily post messages to other users’ profiles. Go to the profiles home page to see a list of status updates for all the people in your social network. Discover profiles by expertise with the organization-wide tag cloud.

Improved Search
Easily search all connections applications, and filter by tags, person, or time range.

Activities & Blogs feature Community Integration
Tired of adding the same people to an activity or blog in order to share it with them? Use a community to start group-centric activities or blogs.

Websiste: Lotus Connections Home

StatusNet has recently announced the completion of an $875,000 financial round. Investors in the Montreal-based company include Montreal Start Up, iNovia Capita, and Footlia.com founder Oleg Tscheltzoff.

The company, known for their open-source microblogging network Identi.ca, plans to offer a service that allows businesses and individuals to create and run their own network. Currently, there are around 2,000 sites powered by StatusNet, with between 200,000 – 300,000 users.

The service is currently in private beta, but anyone who is interested in running their own service can download the software for free from the StatusNet website.

Sprouter facilitates networking and collaboration between entrepreneurs globally. Providing a platform for users to connect with other innovators, entrepreneurs can expand their networks as well as discover and join events in their local areas, start discussions and follow topics of relevance to their business.

WebSite:  Sprouter.com
On Twitter:  @Sprouter

Taweet (beta) is a free Twitter application and social calendar that allows people and businesses to streamline promotional scheduling for events, product launches, lifecasting and more!  Unlike Twitter scheduling applications you may have seen before, Taweet is focused on promoting the topics of your Future Tweets (FT) up until they occur to create buzz or to share with friends.  Your public profile on Taweet displays all of the Future Tweets (FT) that you schedule.  Your profile on Taweet is not only an event promotion tool but also a social calendar for sharing with friends.  All posts and comments on Taweet are organized into a familiar discussion format and sent back to Twitter to drive traffic to your Future Tweets.  Our “Post Now” feature allows you to create threaded topics for all of your real-time Twitter posts.  After you sign into Taweet for the first time you can then begin to link multiple Twitter accounts together.  This will allow you to easily switch between accounts without having to sign in each time. Taweet offers a familiar user interface where you can create and manage your Future Tweets and also view your Twitter stream, replies and messages.  Getting started with Taweet is a breeze!

Website:  Taweet.com

On Twitter:  @taweetcom