LinkedIn has just announced a partnership with IBM in order to create a new plugin that integrates its professional social network into Lotus Notes, a business desktop client that includes e-mail, calendar and IM functionality. The plugin will officially make its debut at Lotusphere, with plans for its release in the first half of 2009.

The plugin's primary purpose is to display information relevant to the people in your e-mails, as well as providing a handy way to browse through some of LinkedIn's most often-used features. For now, the plugin does not automatically look up the contacts mentioned in your e-mails, as you'll still have to click on their names or use the pre-populated search to look them up.

Furthermore, the two companies are also announcing LinkedIn integration into Lotus Connections (an internal social networking product for businesses) and an option to launch a Bluehouse web conference directly from someone's LinkedIn profile. Both of these features are set to appear in 2009, but no other date has been announced.

The site is LotusLive.com, an on-demand collaboration and communication system. LotusLive.com will combine Web conferencing, collaboration and e-mail into a single integrated cloud computing system using technology from IBM Lotus's Sametime Unyte Events, Connections and Notes products. LotusLive will appeal to a whole new set of customers as well as existing clients.

At Lotusphere, IBM also handed out awards to several channel partners, including Elguji, for having the breakout technology of the year, and to Fritz & Macziol of Germany for being IBM's most effective partner.