IBM is to launch an online marketplace for applications later this year, aimed at small and medium sized businesses.

Once complete, the site will allow customers to browse from a selection of programs and tools developed by third party developers around the world. Users will also be able to submit details of their business in order to receive a recommended list of products.

IBM is comparing the venture to online retailer Amazon, as both sites will allow users to read and submit reviews of the offered programs. Transactions will be conducted over IBM servers, so when an order is placed for a specific application, the hardware giant will contact a local reseller and arrange for its deployment.

The new platform was revealed yesterday at the company's Business Partner Leadership Conference in Los Angeles.

On the same day, Intel announced a rival site, Intel Business, offering bundled software packages from Salesforce.com, Symantec, and Microsoft, among others.