Laszlo (News - Alert) Systems, a vendor that creates rich unified Internet applications for consumers and businesses, has announced the launch of Laszlo Webtop Cloud, a Web-based platform that merges e-mail, voice and messaging with social networking and other applications.

The Webtop platform has been adopted and deployed by many of the Tier 1 service provider, company officials said, "to provide subscribers with engaging personal portals for unifying and managing information, collaboration and communications on the Web."

The launch of Laszlo Webtop Cloud  is intended to extend this Web 2.0 capability to companies of all sizes with a suite of capabilities and services for creating personal portals  that function across devices and "foster brand affinity and deeper levels of customer engagement," company officials say.

Last December TMC had the news that  Laszlo Systems announced that it has entered into an agreement with Cincinnati Bell (News - Alert) for the deployment of Webtop.

Under the terms of this agreement, Cincinnati Bell will use the Laszlo Webtop Messaging Suite, a web-based desktop using Web 2.0 technology, to deliver a customized communications dashboard, pre-built calendar, mail and contacts, visual voicemail, and integrated advertising to its subscriber base.

Laszlo officials explain that Webtop Cloud is supposed to change the way companies deliver Web-based applications, services, information and content to consumers, since the cloud-based platform supports multiple apps and services accessible from any browser-enabled device without the need for downloads or plug-ins.

"End users," they noted, "can access their voicemail, e-mail, address books, calendar, instant or text messages, video conferences, and photos as well as social networking applications from a dynamic, branded Web-based environment that senses presence and allows information to follow the user."

George Shahid , CEO of Laszlo Systems (News - Alert), said the company has created "a surround sound of offerings for our customers, providing entertaining and informational content as well as voice and Internet services," adding that Laszlo Webtop "enables our customers' brands to become a destination for their subscribers as they increasingly turn to digital means for communicating and interacting."