At the Enterprise 2.0 conference today in Boston, IBM Corp. announced LotusLive Connections, adding the Lotus Connections layer of social networking tools to its LotusLive software-as-a-service offering. “It’s another natural extension,” said Lotus software general manager Bob Picciano in a phone interview with Mass High Tech. “In LotusLive we provide some things you would consider to be no-brainers like web conferencing and events. People do more than just web conferences. They actually want to work online,” he said.

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The newly refurbished 4,000sq ft showroom will be home to a new and used car dealership with technicians specialising in the service and track preparation of Lotus models and other performance car brands. With the showroom situated close to a new manufacturer test facility due for completion on the existing in-field Stowe Circuit later in the year, the extended track includes a low friction straight and turning circle.

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A sports car manufacturing firm in south Norfolk is set to create more than 100 new jobs as it launches a new vehicle. Lotus, which has a factory based in Hethel, says the new jobs which will be in its Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering division, have come about with the launch of their new vehicle, the Lotus Evora. A spokesman for Lotus said despite the global recession, they were currently increasing production output to cope with the demand for the Evora, the new 2+2 mid-engined sportscar, as well as the Elise and Exige cars.

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Lotus has the big league sports car makers in its sights with its first new car in 13 years. The name of the new car - currently called Project Eagle - will be revealed at the upcoming British Motor Show on July 22. It's likely that, in Lotus tradition, it will be a short, pithy name starting with the letter 'E'. The car is a 2+2 seater and will be priced around $150,000 when it comes to Australia. It is powered by a mid-mounted 206kW Toyota V6 driving the rear wheels via a Toyota-supplied six speed manual gearbox. Lotus has engineered the gearchange and clutch to suit the sporty character of the car.

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First you scan the options list -- touchscreen navigation, premium leather trim, rear parking sensors, iPod adapter, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, backup camera, Alpine audio system, power-folding mirrors. Next you check the badge on the nose. Then you're sure you're looking at the wrong car. Except you aren't. The arrival of the new mid-engine Lotus Evora, due on our shores in January, may mark the first time in nearly two decades that the words "Lotus" and "shoehorn" haven't been used in the same sentence.

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IBM has got some cloud-based software that it will host on its own data centers that it calls a survival mechanism in this economy. Formally known as LotusLive Engage, it's promising to be out by April 7. It includes integrated web-based file sharing, contact management, online meetings, lightweight project management and instant messaging. IBM says it enables "Click to the Cloud," an integration with on-premises Lotus solutions that makes it easy to bridge solutions inside the firewall to the cloud.

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IBM’s Lotus division is touting a revitalised Domino suite as the centrepiece of its platform for collaboration and unified communications. IBM’s head of Lotus for Asia Pacific, expat Kiwi Edward Orange, told users around the country this month that new versions of the software, new partnerships and new links with other IBM software products, such as Sametime, are allowing users to work from one unified interface, and to “communicate in context”.

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Lotus Cars Limited, unveils the Omnivore engine wich is the latest research into engine efficiency at the 79th International Geneva Motor Show. The Omnivore engine concept has the potential to significantly increase fuel efficiency for sustainable alcohol based fuels, which increases the prospect of a greater amount of vehicle miles travelled using renewable fuels.

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Lotus will unveil an environmentally-friendly version of its sporty roadster called Eco Elise at the British Motor Show that opens its doors on July 22. Unlike most eco-friendly propositions of our time, the Eco Elise study doesn’t revolve solely around tailpipe CO2 emissions.

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The Lotus Eco Elise project promotes a different perspective on "green", one which does not revolve solely around tailpipe CO2. This holistic approach is in keeping with the progressive Lotus culture, driving Lotus to become the world's green automotive consultancy.

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Lotus plans to develop an extended line of Evora versions, the majority of that will be launched by the year 2011. “We’ve already had a blown version of the V6 engine running on a bench,” a source within Lotus told Autocar.

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At a media introduction to GM's 2009 model line last week, GM vice chairman Bob Lutz said the company's lithium-ion battery development "is progressing nicely" and that the company has chosen but not announced a supplier. The lightweight battery technology is the linchpin of the Chevrolet Volt electric car that GM has promised for 2010. The Volt will drive up to 40 miles on a charge before its gasoline-powered onboard generator is needed to extend its range.

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Ever since Fiat re-launched its Abarth brand, we’ve been hearing rumors about a stand-alone sports car that will act as a “halo” car for the Italian brand. Now, British magazine Autocar is reporting that it has learned from credible sources that Fiat has struck a deal with Lotus to use the next generation Elise that’s expected in 2010 as a base for a lightweight sports car with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout.

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The Lotus Elise R from Stark Automotive offers supercar-like performance for sportscar prices. Claimed figures of 0-60mph (0-96km/h) in 3.9 seconds, 0-100mph (0-160km/h) in 9.5 seconds and a top speed of around 160mph (256km/h) put it in the company of track-day specials and cars that cost far more to maintain and store than the Elise does to buy, but Stark adds its performance for relatively little expense.

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The first Chevy Volt and its E-Flex brethren are still more than two years away, but vice chairman and corporate quote machine Bob Lutz is already targeting 2020 for 1 million annual worldwide sales. The lofty target would go a long way towards the General's goal of meeting tough fuel economy and CO2 standards in the U.S. and Europe, while also providing customers a mass-market choice that can run mainly on electricity. While E-Flex will be a big part of GM's long-term plans, the technology will be slowly introduced to the buying public and ramped up as battery costs drop.

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