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IBM Delivers WebSphere Studio Version 5

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On September 24, IBM announced its latest offering of WebSphere Studio, uniting Java and traditional development assets in a single development environment for Web services. According to IBM, the new software--IBM WebSphere Studio Version 5--increases the speed at which developers can create e-business applications by integrating new and previously existing software across all of IBM's platforms. IBM believes this is a top priority for customers because it lowers the cost of development that requires customers to integrate and modernize existing applications. Most organizations have acquired or developed major application assets through various programming technologies over the past 30 or more years. IBM says that WebSphere Studio Version 5 will bring those applications into its new development environment and allow developers to integrate them into Web services technology.

Rollout of WebSphere Application Server and Tools

The delivery of WebSphere Studio Version 5 also marks the initial rollout of Version 5 of WebSphere Application Server (WAS). WebSphere Studio includes a built-in version of WAS, so developers can begin building, integrating, deploying, and testing applications with the new development environment.

IBM says that the feature-rich functionality of WebSphere Studio Version 5 will separate its offering from the competition because other vendors' products require the customer to rewrite existing applications in Java. According to IBM, this latest release of WebSphere Studio will enable a developer to develop Java-based Web services while modernizing legacy code such as COBOL and PL1. In addition, WebSphere Studio Version 5 lets developers coordinate the flow of multiple back-end applications through Web services--applications that may be needed to complete cross-enterprise business transactions.

IBM claims that "... developers can retrofit and integrate older but still critical software assets as Web services, while writing new applications to standards-based and enterprise-tested Java. This avoids the expensive, time-consuming, and flexibility-limiting effort of conforming to a proprietary framework such as Microsoft .NET."

Standards-Based, High Productivity

According to IBM, WebSphere Studio Version 5 supports the latest standards, including the following:

  • J2EE 1.3
  • Eclipse Version 2
  • Version 7.2 of both Red Hat Linux and SuSE Linux
  • Web Services Business Process Language (BPEL4WS)

In addition, WebSphere developers can now visually construct Web applications using the Apache Struts environment. Apache Struts is an open-source framework that reduces the effort required to build, maintain, and modify Web applications based on standard technologies such as Java servlets, Java Beans, and XML.

In addition, IBM says that WebSphere Studio Version 5 is complemented by the availability of Macromedia ColdFusion MX for WebSphere, which enables ColdFusion applications to run natively in WebSphere.

Other productivity features include performance analysis and tracing tools, legacy asset analysis, automatic code generation, integrated debuggers, and built-in test environments to detect bugs early in the development process. Additional features are designed to help smooth the transition from application development to application deployment. Load-testing and application monitoring enable developers to assess how the applications will function in a production environment.

Big Package, Big Capability, Big Price

Feature-rich functionality is not the only thing that separates WebSphere Studio Version 5 from the rest of the competition. Price per developer is another differentiator, and this is not trivial. WebSphere Studio Application Developer V5 costs $3,499 per user, while the WebSphere Studio Enterprise Developer V5 costs $7,500 per user. In addition, Macromedia ColdFusion MX for IBM WebSphere Application Server is available for $4,000 per processor. These costs will, unfortunately, prevent many organizations below the "enterprise mainframe" level from exploring WebSphere Studio's capabilities for integration, and they certainly drive the cost of investing in e-business development to a new level.

IBM is offering WebSphere Studio through its Passport Advantage Program via IBM Sales Representatives and authorized IBM Business Partners.

Thomas M. Stockwell is the Editor in Chief of MC Press, LLC. He has written extensively about program development, project management, IT management, and IT consulting and has been a frequent contributor to many midrange periodicals. He has authored numerous white papers for iSeries solutions providers. His most recent consulting assignments have been as a Senior Industry Analyst working with IBM on the iSeries, on the mid-market, and specifically on WebSphere brand positioning. He welcomes your comments about this or other articles and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Thomas Stockwell

Thomas M. Stockwell is an independent IT analyst and writer. He is the former Editor in Chief of MC Press Online and Midrange Computing magazine and has over 20 years of experience as a programmer, systems engineer, IT director, industry analyst, author, speaker, consultant, and editor.  

 

Tom works from his home in the Napa Valley in California. He can be reached at ITincendiary.com.

 

 

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