The May 2010 update is now live on blueprint.lombardi.com! We have some exciting changes in this release that I can’t wait to tell you about.

First things first — we’ve changed our name! We’re now called IBM BPM Blueprint and our sister product, Teamworks, is now WebSphere Lombardi Edition. You can read all about it in the announcement here. We’re now officially part of the IBM product portfolio, and you’ll see us leveraging more and more of IBM’s capabilities to make you more productive over the next few weeks and months.

We also have two great enhancements for you. The first is our new Template Library, which has a wealth of processes that represent industry and functional best practices to help you get your documentation efforts jump started. Second, we’ve introduced the Blueprint API, which allows you to integrate Blueprint more closely with your existing systems.

Let’s take a look at the enhancements in detail:

• Template Library: There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. No matter what kind of document you’re creating, it’s always quicker to start from a template than a blank slate. If I need to send a fax or create a newsletter, Microsoft Word comes with many options that just require me to fill in a few blanks and hit save. Why should documenting processes be any different?

  That’s why today we’re introducing the Blueprint Template Library. It’s stocked with a wealth of process models that represent best practices across different industries and functions that you can leverage to get a head start on your documentation efforts. You’ll find templates for the HR and finance functions as well as common process patterns that span industries. We’ve also made some of the great content from the BPM BlueWorks community available as well, including the APQC Process Classification Framework. We’ll be adding more and more content in the future, so be sure to drop us a line and let us know what other types of process templates would be useful for you.

  And one more thing: we think you’ll find the Template Library interface a joy to use to browse, search for, and preview your processes. Check out the tutorial video from Craig Moser, our head of design, for a quick peek.

• Blueprint API: We’ve also made it easier for you to integrate Blueprint with your existing systems. For the technical audience, we’ve created a REST API that allows you to access your processes, attachments, and account activity feeds. Check out the API documentation in the help section for all the details.

  The Blueprint API opens up a ton of possibilities — it’s now possible to embed content from your account on other websites, or even make it available on your mobile device. Give it a try today and let us know what you think.

As always, this release also features many smaller improvements based upon what we’ve heard from you — including additional security controls for invitations and better time zone support in printed output. Log in now and try it out for yourself! If you don’t have an account yet, just sign up for a free 30 day trial. And if you want to hear the latest inside info on what’s coming next, make sure you follow us on Twitter.