IBM Enables Web Services

IBM Delivers First Production-Ready Infrastructure Software and Services to Enable Web Services

Provides New Connectivity for Businesses on Web Plus Transaction/Integration Capabilities to Take Advantage of It. Targets $50 Billion Industry Opportunity

Somers, N.Y., USA. May 14, 2001.

IBM today announced across-the-board support of open Internet standards for its infrastructure software to provide businesses with new levels of connectivity on the Web. The company also announced new capabilities in its software for businesses to take advantage of that connectivity, including those for securely managing the highest-volume transactions and integrating complex business processes.

In addition, the company announced consulting and systems integration support from IBM Global Services to help businesses build Web services applications using IBM's infrastructure software.

IDC estimates the market for infrastructure software and services that simplify integration of business processes will approach $50 billion by 2005. In addition, the increased integration will drive the growth of transactions on the Web 50-fold in the same time frame.

To target this growth, IBM is enabling all of its infrastructure software -- known as middleware -- with comprehensive support for open Internet standards to enable the development of Web services applications. The support spans IBM's entire middleware portfolio, including DB2, Lotus, Tivoli and WebSphere software.

"Web services are emerging e-business applications that can connect and interact with one another on the Web more easily and efficiently, eliminating much of the time-consuming custom coding currently required in, for example, B2B environments," said Steve Mills, senior vice president and group executive, IBM software group. "The more efficient integration is being driven by a wide range of new open Internet standards, which IBM helped develop and has incorporated in its software. But Web services applications alone are not sufficient. Businesses also need a comprehensive portfolio of infrastructure software to drive transactions and integration -- and we're announcing both pieces of the puzzle today."

Most Comprehensive Portfolio of Open Middleware for Web Services

Specifically, IBM today announced software and tools that enable businesses to create, publish, securely deploy, host and manage Web services applications. The software also enables businesses to convert existing applications into Web services.

Software for developing, publishing, hosting and deploying Web services

WebSphere Application Server Version 4, available June 30, which supports the variety of open standards and technologies necessary to develop, publish and deploy Web services applications, including: Universal Description Discovery and Integration (UDDI); Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP); Java2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE); Web Services Description Language (WSDL); and enhanced integration of leading XML technologies.

Version 4 includes improved capabilities for managing high-volume transactions, including new caching capabilities that increase application speed 200-300 percent in high-volume environments; faster transaction performance; and better management of multiple connections to applications stored in a variety of computing systems.

The software also includes new functions for integrating business processes, including new connectivity and interoperability options. Through open standards, WebSphere will connect and interoperate with the largest number of business applications in the industry, including leading applications from SAP, PeopleSoft, IBM's CICS, IMS, host integration and others.

In addition, Version 4 has the ability to interface with a public UDDI registry. As a result, businesses using WebSphere can turn new and existing business processes into Web services applications that can be easily shared among other organizations, including business partners and customers.
WebSphere Studio Technology Preview for Web services, new tools that enable software developers to build Web services applications. The tools enable programmers to create, test and deploy Web services applications and connect them to existing business processes. The tools also enable businesses to "publish" Web services applications for existing and potential trading partners via a UDDI Registry. The software will be available in a preview version this July with a targeted general availability starting this fall.
WebSphere Business Integrator, software that enables businesses to integrate and manage the "flow" of Web services applications. WebSphere Business Integrator helps companies manage diverse information and processes within and between enterprises. This software enables businesses to use the reliability and transactional characteristics of MQSeries to deliver SOAP messages from one Web services application to another -- linking the applications together and managing their interaction. WebSphere Business Integrator will be available at the end of June.

Software Enabling Web Services Applications to Manage and Access Data

IBM announced the industry's only relational database supporting UDDI and SOAP. DB2 -- with the DB2/XML Extender -- enables Web services applications to access data stored in DB2 or any other database, providing businesses with greater ease and efficiency in accessing, analyzing and managing information across multiple computing systems. The DB2/XML Extender is an integral feature of DB2 Version 7.2, which was announced last week. DB2/XML Extender helps businesses more easily integrate their current business processes by sharing information with their partners, improving efficiencies and reducing costs.

Software for Availability, Performance and Security of Web Services Applications

Tivoli Manager for WebSphere Application Server, which provides a single point of control to enable businesses to manage the distributed environments that use WebSphere Application Server to host Web services applications. Through the core set of Tivoli availability and performance management products plus the Tivoli Managers for WebSphere, MQSeries and DB2, businesses have comprehensive management capabilities for Web services applications.
Tivoli Web Services Manager, software for monitoring the performance of the entire Web services chain of transactions. Tivoli Web Services Manager allows Service Providers or Service Requesters to monitor Web services transactions to ensure they are performing within specified thresholds. This product allows customers to flexibly monitor transactions in real-time or via simulated transactions.
Tivoli SecureWay Policy Director -- using the recently-announced support in Tivoli SecureWay Policy Director, tens of thousands of IBM WebSphere developers and customers can now build consistent security policy into their Web services applications. Access management software can be used to control access to applications and data. Tight integration between the Tivoli SecureWay portfolio of products and IBM middleware products like WebSphere and MQSeries provide policy-based security for Web services applications.

Software for Enabling Web Collaboration, Knowledge Management, and e-Learning

Lotus today announced plans for its software portfolio to support Web services applications. Developers will benefit from the enhanced software portfolio by enabling them to easily integrate collaboration, knowledge discovery, and e-learning into Web services applications. This integration will benefit customers and business partners by streamlining communications and opening the distribution of information between organizations.
To help software developers build Web services applications for Lotus products, Lotus also announced the Lotus Web Services Enablement Kit. Before the end of the second quarter, the Lotus Web Services Enablement Kit will be posted to the IBM alphaWorks site (http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com). Also from alphaWorks, developers can download the latest Web Services Toolkit v.2.3 with a Private UDDI registry at no cost
Due to Lotus' long-standing tradition of using open Internet standards as the foundation for product interoperability, developers can already build and implement Web services applications for Lotus product.
Lotus Domino Application Server: The collaboration, workflow, and messaging capabilities of Domino can be accessed as Web services by adding SOAP interfaces & WSDL descriptions to new or existing Domino applications. The built-in support for Web, XML, and Java technology provides a straightforward approach for enabling custom Domino applications as Web services.
Lotus Domino Workflow: This product works on top of Domino to provide the ability to develop, coordinate, and manage human-interactive business processes. Using Web services, Domino Workflow-based activities can be utilized by external applications over the Internet.
Lotus Knowledge Discovery System: Developers can add SOAP interfaces to access expertise information gathered by Lotus' Discovery Server technology.
Lotus Sametime: Java APIs and Beans can work with Lotus Domino or IBM WebSphere to present online awareness and instant messaging as a Web service.
Lotus LearningSpace: Java interfaces enable LearningSpace users to allow extensions that access basic e-learning information like available course schedules and times.

Further details on Lotus' product plans will be unveiled at Lotus DevCon 2001 (http://www.lotus.com/devcon), June 17-21, in Las Vegas.

"Time to market is key to our business success," said Dr. Peter Juhn, President and CEO, CareTouch Inc. "We saw a huge, unmet need to support at-home patients and caregivers, but had to move fast to establish our presence. With the help of IBM Global Services and IBM WebSphere platform technologies, we launched the Carepanion Web application in just six months. It's the most robust, comprehensive e-commerce site of its kind in the healthcare marketplace today. There are a number of Web companies out there trying to do a part of what we're doing, but not with the same speed or scale.

"With the WebSphere platform, we can readily scale up to support hundreds of thousands and potentially millions of users. And, we can integrate new open standards Web technologies - such as Web services - quickly and easily. For example, an important part of our Web strategy is to leverage the buying power of consumers to help them get healthcare products at discount prices. As we evolve our Web-based infrastructure, we can accelerate the speed with which we link more healthcare companies into our B2B marketplace and transcend current technical barriers of entry."

About IBM

IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. IBM software offers the widest range of applications, middleware and operating systems for all types of computing platforms, allowing customers to take full advantage of the new era of e-business. The fastest way to get more information about IBM software is through the IBM home page at http://www.ibm.com/software.

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See the discussion and references.

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The company also announced new capabilities in its software for businesses to take advantage of that connectivity, including those for securely managing the highest-volume transactions and integrating complex business processes. In addition, the company announced consulting and systems integration support from IBM Global Services to help businesses build Web services applications using IBM's infrastructure software. IDC estimates the market for infrastructure software and services that simplify integration of business processes will approach $50 billion by 2005. In addition, the increased integration will drive the growth of transactions on the Web 50-fold in the same time frame. To target this growth, IBM is enabling all of its infrastructure software -- known as middleware -- with comprehensive support for open Internet standards to enable the development of Web services applications. The support spans IBM's entire middleware portfolio, including DB2, Lotus, Tivoli and WebSphere software. "Web services are emerging e-business applications that can connect and interact with one another on the Web more easily and efficiently, eliminating much of the time-consuming custom coding currently required in, for example, B2B environments," said Steve Mills, senior vice president and group executive, IBM software group. "The more efficient integration is being driven by a wide range of new open Internet standards, which IBM helped develop and has incorporated in its software. But Web services applications alone are not sufficient. Businesses also need a comprehensive portfolio of infrastructure software to drive transactions and integration -- and we're announcing both pieces of the puzzle today." Most Comprehensive Portfolio of Open Middleware for Web Services Specifically, IBM today announced software and tools that enable businesses to create, publish, securely deploy, host and manage Web services applications. The software also enables businesses to convert existing applications into Web services. Software for developing, publishing, hosting and deploying Web services WebSphere Application Server Version 4, available June 30, which supports the variety of open standards and technologies necessary to develop, publish and deploy Web services applications, including: Universal Description Discovery and Integration (UDDI); Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP); Java2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE); Web Services Description Language (WSDL); and enhanced integration of leading XML technologies. Version 4 includes improved capabilities for managing high-volume transactions, including new caching capabilities that increase application speed 200-300 percent in high-volume environments; faster transaction performance; and better management of multiple connections to applications stored in a variety of computing systems. The software also includes new functions for integrating business processes, including new connectivity and interoperability options. Through open standards, WebSphere will connect and interoperate with the largest number of business applications in the industry, including leading applications from SAP, PeopleSoft, IBM's CICS, IMS, host integration and others. In addition, Version 4 has the ability to interface with a public UDDI registry. As a result, businesses using WebSphere can turn new and existing business processes into Web services applications that can be easily shared among other organizations, including business partners and customers. WebSphere Studio Technology Preview for Web services, new tools that enable software developers to build Web services applications. The tools enable programmers to create, test and deploy Web services applications and connect them to existing business processes. The tools also enable businesses to "publish" Web services applications for existing and potential trading partners via a UDDI Registry. The software will be available in a preview version this July with a targeted general availability starting this fall. WebSphere Business Integrator, software that enables businesses to integrate and manage the "flow" of Web services applications. WebSphere Business Integrator helps companies manage diverse information and processes within and between enterprises. This software enables businesses to use the reliability and transactional characteristics of MQSeries to deliver SOAP messages from one Web services application to another -- linking the applications together and managing their interaction. WebSphere Business Integrator will be available at the end of June. Software Enabling Web Services Applications to Manage and Access Data IBM announced the industry's only relational database supporting UDDI and SOAP. DB2 -- with the DB2/XML Extender -- enables Web services applications to access data stored in DB2 or any other database, providing businesses with greater ease and efficiency in accessing, analyzing and managing information across multiple computing systems. The DB2/XML Extender is an integral feature of DB2 Version 7.2, which was announced last week. DB2/XML Extender helps businesses more easily integrate their current business processes by sharing information with their partners, improving efficiencies and reducing costs. Software for Availability, Performance and Security of Web Services Applications Tivoli Manager for WebSphere Application Server, which provides a single point of control to enable businesses to manage the distributed environments that use WebSphere Application Server to host Web services applications. Through the core set of Tivoli availability and performance management products plus the Tivoli Managers for WebSphere, MQSeries and DB2, businesses have comprehensive management capabilities for Web services applications. Tivoli Web Services Manager, software for monitoring the performance of the entire Web services chain of transactions. Tivoli Web Services Manager allows Service Providers or Service Requesters to monitor Web services transactions to ensure they are performing within specified thresholds. This product allows customers to flexibly monitor transactions in real-time or via simulated transactions. Tivoli SecureWay Policy Director -- using the recently-announced support in Tivoli SecureWay Policy Director, tens of thousands of IBM WebSphere developers and customers can now build consistent security policy into their Web services applications. Access management software can be used to control access to applications and data. Tight integration between the Tivoli SecureWay portfolio of products and IBM middleware products like WebSphere and MQSeries provide policy-based security for Web services applications. Software for Enabling Web Collaboration, Knowledge Management, and e-Learning Lotus today announced plans for its software portfolio to support Web services applications. Developers will benefit from the enhanced software portfolio by enabling them to easily integrate collaboration, knowledge discovery, and e-learning into Web services applications. This integration will benefit customers and business partners by streamlining communications and opening the distribution of information between organizations. To help software developers build Web services applications for Lotus products, Lotus also announced the Lotus Web Services Enablement Kit. Before the end of the second quarter, the Lotus Web Services Enablement Kit will be posted to the IBM alphaWorks site (http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com). Also from alphaWorks, developers can download the latest Web Services Toolkit v.2.3 with a Private UDDI registry at no cost Due to Lotus' long-standing tradition of using open Internet standards as the foundation for product interoperability, developers can already build and implement Web services applications for Lotus product. Lotus Domino Application Server: The collaboration, workflow, and messaging capabilities of Domino can be accessed as Web services by adding SOAP interfaces & WSDL descriptions to new or existing Domino applications. The built-in support for Web, XML, and Java technology provides a straightforward approach for enabling custom Domino applications as Web services. Lotus Domino Workflow: This product works on top of Domino to provide the ability to develop, coordinate, and manage human-interactive business processes. Using Web services, Domino Workflow-based activities can be utilized by external applications over the Internet. Lotus Knowledge Discovery System: Developers can add SOAP interfaces to access expertise information gathered by Lotus' Discovery Server technology. Lotus Sametime: Java APIs and Beans can work with Lotus Domino or IBM WebSphere to present online awareness and instant messaging as a Web service. Lotus LearningSpace: Java interfaces enable LearningSpace users to allow extensions that access basic e-learning information like available course schedules and times. Further details on Lotus' product plans will be unveiled at Lotus DevCon 2001 (http://www.lotus.com/devcon), June 17-21, in Las Vegas. "Time to market is key to our business success," said Dr. Peter Juhn, President and CEO, CareTouch Inc. "We saw a huge, unmet need to support at-home patients and caregivers, but had to move fast to establish our presence. With the help of IBM Global Services and IBM WebSphere platform technologies, we launched the Carepanion Web application in just six months. It's the most robust, comprehensive e-commerce site of its kind in the healthcare marketplace today. There are a number of Web companies out there trying to do a part of what we're doing, but not with the same speed or scale. "With the WebSphere platform, we can readily scale up to support hundreds of thousands and potentially millions of users. And, we can integrate new open standards Web technologies - such as Web services - quickly and easily. For example, an important part of our Web strategy is to leverage the buying power of consumers to help them get healthcare products at discount prices. As we evolve our Web-based infrastructure, we can accelerate the speed with which we link more healthcare companies into our B2B marketplace and transcend current technical barriers of entry." About IBM IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. IBM software offers the widest range of applications, middleware and operating systems for all types of computing platforms, allowing customers to take full advantage of the new era of e-business. The fastest way to get more information about IBM software is through the IBM home page at http://www.ibm.com/software. Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See the discussion and references.