Microsoft is testing a prototype Facebook-like offering designed to bring social networking features to company intranets.

TownSquare will provide feeds and updates on employees using web services to poll SharePoint.

Users will be able to customise profiles and feeds, decide who gets to see what information about them and receive status notifications of colleagues' whereabouts and the projects on which they are working.

The system is currently used daily by about 700 Microsoft employees, the company said, and is also under test at unnamed Microsoft customers.

Microsoft and third-party software developers see SharePoint as a natural basis for developing corporate web 2.0 applications.

Microsoft is also backing commercial social networking following a $240m stake in Facebook dating from October 2007.

See also:

Social networking spam on the rise

A hacker wants to be your friend  10 Jun 2008

Social sites need tougher privacy rules

Facebook, MySpace et al 'not doing enough' to prevent abusive posts  06 Jun 2008

Facebook ban could lead to staff exodus

Survey finds people need to get a life  05 Jun 2008

Analysts herald wireless social networking revolution

Social networking on the move to be worth $2.5tn by 2020  05 Jun 2008

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