Salesforce.com has rolled out a software package that allows companies to create online communities for interacting with customers, reports ClickZ.

Salesforce Ideas allows companies to build IdeaExchange communities, where customers can offer feedback on current products and discuss what they'd like to see next.

One Salesforce exec compared the service to the social news site Digg, where the best stories are voted on by members, and consequently rise to the top. Instead of good stories, however, good ideas will be rising at the IdeaExchange.
The platform was recently used by Dell to build its IdeaStorm community. From that system, the company learned of users' affinity for Linux offerings, a demand Dell subsequently fulfilled.

In June, Salesforce partnered with Google to add strength to its online ad market.