AskMe's namesake expert service, IBM WebSphere, and Tacit's ActiveNet are highlighted in a discussion of Expert Locator software that can connect people and 'make content locked in employees' heads accessible to other members of an organization.' A system from Sopheon uses a software approach to find people internally and also provides access to a network of external experts with controls to protect intellectual property (IP) rights. Tacit and AskMe also provide similar solutions. Portal vendors may work with such companies, but many also prove proprietary solutions that help people find each other. An analyst for Meta Group, who has tracked portals, collaboration, expertise and related subjects since 1996, says Expert Locator systems use various methods to find out who has specific expertise in an organization. Tools mine e-mail and document repositories and create profiles and indices, and information requests are routed requests based on expertise. Expert systems and business process management (BPM) are likely to be part of the next upsurge in protocol usage, says the expert, and a spokesman for AskMe states that there is a need for emphasis on information that is in someone's brain, not a document. Portals already address that issue in such products as WebSphere and Plumtree, which have applications that run inside a portal to assist employees in finding each other. IBM and Lotus have products that poll a system to build user profiles, and IBM also offers a service inside the portal that allows employee search. AskMe's spokesman says users have to be able to find the expert, transact, and also participate in communities of practice and interest, which are features provided by AskMe.