IBM chose Friday as the day to introduce its highly publicised WebSphere product to SA. WebSphere is the company`s middleware infrastructure software for the Web.
IBM recently reported handling 1.2 million hits in one minute on its Olympics Web site, which sported the WebSphere infrastructure.
The event is part of a series called "epiphany", which will showcase the software group`s offerings around the country.
WebSphere incorporates technology from the MQSeries, Lotus and Tivoli divisions, and is designed to bridge the communications gap between legacy systems and new Web technologies. With this product in its middleware portfolio, IBM hopes to capture 24% of the $1.6 billion a year middleware market by year-end (according to research house Giga).
The WebSphere software platform is derived from IBM`s Application Framework for e-business. "It`s an integrated set of technologies that addresses every phase of e-business," says Joe Ruthven, transformation and integration manager, IBM SA software group. "Customers don`t have to search out the pieces or worry about how they`ll all fit."
The product is divided into three layers, namely Foundation, Foundation Extensions and Application Accelerators.
Foundation is based on WebSphere application servers and MQSeries integration software, providing a transactional bridge between legacy and the Web. It also provides a set of application services for management, security, clustering, performance and availability through Java applications and JavaBeans components.
The Foundation Extensions include visual development tools for rapid application development.
The Application Accelerators include Lotus Domino, WebSphere Commerce Suite, and the WebSphere B2B Integrator, and provide collaborative, e-commerce and business-to-business solutions.
Ruthven says that WebSphere supports all major computing environments, and has application support from nearly 9 000 software vendors.
A small WebSphere services team has been created within the IBM SA software group to assist its customers` move to e-business.
"It`s a kick-start service, helping customers with installation, proof of concept and pilots. It`s a commitment of no more than four weeks. Our business partners and IBM SA`s own services group will tackle the longer services projects," says Ruthven.
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