LinkedIn gets a facelift and goes mobile

Business network LinkedIn is getting a makeover to offer an improved service to its almost 20 million users and make it available on BlackBerrys, iPhones, PDAs and mobile phones.

The new version of the site - currently in beta testing - will be available in the next few weeks and will include third-party applications developed through LinkedIn's Open Social platform.

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Speaking to silicon.com LinkedIn CEO, Dan Nye, said: "We are in the process of rolling out a redesigned website. So it's going to have pretty different look. We've integrated news and through that we also allow you to share those news articles with your colleagues and show you which are the most read articles inside of your company."

There are also plans to develop the site for languages other than English to cater for LinkedIn's growing number of users outside the US, which currently stands at around 50 per cent.

Nye said: "In 2008 we will be making [LinkedIn] available in a number of foreign languages. Initially our focus is Europe."

And LinkedIn is now being made available for BlackBerrys, the iPhone and WAP-enabled mobile phones.

Nye said LinkedIn is responding to the business realities of people being on the move with users being able to get network updates and access photos and biog information of people they meet professionally.

The mobile service will initially be available in Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.