1. A method for integrating an instance of a third party application into a collaborative computing environment instance, the method comprising: creating one or more data interfaces between the third party application instance and a collaborative computing environment, the one or more data interfaces including a life cycle application program interface, a sensor application program interface, a transactional application program interface, a search application program interface, and a membership application program interface; exposing the third party application instance within the collaborative computing environment by causing the third party application instance to physically appear within the collaborative computing environment via a portlet; creating a template within the collaborative computing environment that uses the third party application instance, the template configured to create a space for the portlet within the collaborative computing environment and also configured to point to the one or more data interfaces and also to the portlet; and using a migration tool to create collaborative computing environment instances which reference existing instances within the third party application.