Linking of these sites will allow IT professionals to more easily find information on their areas of interest without having to go back and forth between them. For example, an IT professional browsing through reference books on Java at Ibooks.com is provided with a one-step link to information on Java courses at Hungry Minds.

Elise Olding, director of knowledge, E-learning, and collaboration at the Hurwitz Group, says the partnership should prove helpful to IT professionals looking to learn more. "People learn in different ways, and this broadens learning offerings," she says. "With books, free courses, experts, and communities, now people can link [to what they want] in a more personalized, meaningful way."

Such partnerships are especially helpful to users if large Web sites are involved. For example, Hungry Minds is a broad E-learning site, and requires navigating through a range of courses on subjects other than IT, such as cooking.

Hungry Minds senior VP of marketing Niquette Hunt says the vendors will share some revenue from the partnership, but would not provide details.

Joe Peckerill, who serves in an IT position as community manager for management service provider Triactive Inc. of Austin, Texas, says he found it easier to read books at Ibooks.com than he had expected. "It's an easy way to use reference material, and it's laid out pretty well for the Web," he says. He hasn't taken any online courses, but says he's considering it.