News Desk

Avineon to Use SOA in Dept Defense Contract

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Avineon, Inc., a provider of IT, geospatial, engineering and program management services, has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase II contract by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). Under the contract, which is a continuation of its Phase I work, Avineon will continue transforming NAVSEA's existing Afloat Master Planning System (AMPS) into a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) to support the Navy's Strike Force Interoperability (SFI) initiative.

SOA Web-based Application, ProcessMaker, Will Be Available On the Intel Business Exchange

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:15:00 EDT

Colosa announced that its flagship solution, ProcessMaker, is one of the first applications to achieve certification through the Intel Certified Solutions Program and will be available on the Intel Business Exchange. The Intel Business Exchange is an online marketplace for small and medium businesses to search for and buy software specifically geared towards their special needs.

New IBM Software Expands SOA Infosphere

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:30:00 EDT

IBM has introduced new versions of two software products, part of its growing InfoSphere portfolio, that deliver information on demand to the people, processes and applications that rely on it. The new products help customers create and manage trusted information from across their enterprises to improve business performance. IBM is introducing a new version of its IBM master data management software. The company is also releasing a new version of IBM InfoSphere Information Server, which allows customers to standardize and resolve multicultural name data.

SOA Consortium Releases New Podcast from K. Scott Morrison, Layer 7 Technologies

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:30:00 EDT

The SOA Consortium announced the availability of a podcast and slide deck of the presentation by K. Scott Morrison, VP of Engineering and Chief Architect at Layer 7 Technologies, on "How to Fail at SOA," recorded at the SOA Consortium meeting in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in June. Calling on Layer 7 Technologies' six years of experience Scott warned meeting attendees about repeated patterns of bad practices, pitfalls and bad decisions.

New Book from Packt: Build Powerful Java Apps using SOA

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:30:00 EDT

Services-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a software architecture where functionality is grouped around business processes and packaged as interoperable services. SOA also describes IT infrastructure which allows different applications to exchange data with one another as they participate in business processes. Through this book, users will learn when SOA is the best choice for their web services-based applications and also to design and implement a sound architecture for successful implementation of any business solution.

North Shore Credit Union to Implement Software Conversion with AMB SOA Solution

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

AMB has been chosen by North Shore Credit Union as their data quality provider to cleanse their old system data as part of their data governance program. The tight integration with ETL tools and the availability of integrated SOA components and tools usable by their stakeholders was a key differentiator for choosing AMB.

Toyota Motor Europe Selects Active Endpoints to Develop Their SOA Applications

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Active Endpoints announced that Toyota Motor Europe has deployed a sales education application that uses ActiveVOS for user provisioning and access to an education application. The new services-based application utilizes ActiveVOS capabilities including rapid development and deployment, integrated testing and support of industry-standards like the Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) to ensure all field personnel have quick and easy access to their internal learning management system. Toyota Motor Europe is based in Brussels, Belgium.

Business Agility - The Value Driver for SOA

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:20:00 EDT

SOA is a simple three-letter acronym that causes a lot of confusion. What exactly is SOA and why is it at the forefront of IT initiatives around the world? Interestingly, if you ask your peers what SOA means, you'll get a wide variety of responses. Some people will talk about modular applications or reusable components, while others will describe loose coupling or standards-based integration.

Cloud Computing - Predominantly an IT Operation Outsourcing Trend

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:45:00 EDT

The shift created by SaaS as well as Cloud Computing is retargeting the IT supported business process services towards the mid-market where it will proliferate in a very different direction. The value that is created by the on-demand capacity inherent to Cloud Computing is the big differentiator here for both startup and established business.

A Brief History of Cloud Computing: Is the Cloud There Yet?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:30:00 EDT

In order to discuss some of the issues surrounding The Cloud concept, I think it is important to place it in historical context. Looking at the Cloud's forerunners, and the problems they encountered, gives us the reference points to guide us through the challenges it needs to overcome before it is adopted.

Executing an SOA Governance Plan

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:00:00 EDT

Over the past several years, there has been much fanfare regarding the promise of SOA. However, as with any IT-related solution, it is not a magic bullet or cure-all for IT integration. In fact, SOA does not solve business process problems, but rather identifies both the good and bad organizational processes. In most instances, SOA will require additional front-loaded costs until a critical mass of services are developed for reuse.

McCamish Deploys Progress Sonic ESB Platform to Create A SOA

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:30:00 EDT

Progress Software announced that McCamish Systems has deployed the Progress Sonic ESB platform to create a service oriented architecture (SOA) that will help them provide integrated services to their BPO clients. As a result of the ESB, McCamish can reduce the complexity of integration to their client's corporate web sites by exposing standard web services.

Conformia Integrates SOA-Based Lifecycle Management Into IBM Platform

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:15:00 EDT

Conformia announced it has integrated its solution into the IBM platform to provide an end-to-end solution for drug development to the pharmaceutical industry. The solution incorporates service oriented architecture (SOA) capabilities that have been validated by IBM. Conformia's SOA approach enables other applications running on the IBM stack and infrastructure to exchange crucial pharmaceutical data with Conformia's products. Furthermore, data from non-IBM products can now be integrated into Conformia and IBM product stacks creating the first commercial off-the-shelf, integrated information environment solution for pharmaceutical and biotech drug development.

IBM's SOA Software and Vantage Deluxe World Travel Make It Easier for Travelers to Book Vacations

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EDT

IBM announced that Vantage Deluxe World Travel has increased sales and improved business operations since turning to IBM to run its Web site and online booking system. Since switching to IBM WebSphere Commerce software, Vantage Travel has reduced order-taking time by 80 percent and increased revenue for the company. The new Web site also has special features to make it easier for consumers to navigate and make reservations.

View "Virtualization Power Panel" Live on SYS-CON.TV

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Red Hat CTO Brian Stevens, Citrix CTO Simon Crosby, Egenera CTO Pete Manca, Allen Stewart, Group Manager, Windows Virtualization at Microsoft, and Brian Duckering, Sr. Director of Products and Alliances at Symantec were the top industry executives who joined Jeremy Geelan in the 4th Floor Reuters Studio overlooking Times Square for a special SYS-CON.TV 'Virtualization Power Panel' recorded on June 22, 2008, the day before the opening of SYS-CON's 3rd International Virtualization Conference & Expo - which was held 23-24 June 2008 in New York City.

SOA World - SOA's Last Mile

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:45:00 EDT

According to Wikipedia, 'The last mile (or last kilometer) is the final leg of delivering connectivity from a communications provider to a customer. Usually referred to by the telecommunications and cable television industries, it is typically seen as an expensive challenge because 'fanning out' wires and cables is a considerable physical undertaking.' The significant complexity, cost, and risk associated with this situation delayed many broadband rollouts until new technology became available that could realize the 'last mile.'

TechTarget Gets Caught Spying on SYS-CON Media

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:30:00 EDT

SYS-CON Events' sales team replied to Scott Kelly's exhibitor inquiry, but when they never heard back from Scott, they decided to do a little Googling and here is what they found out. Mr Kelly is actually the 'Director of Product Management at TechTarget,' a technology media company that is struggling to produce a competitive show (with no luck) and compete with AJAX World RIA Conference & Expo. No wonder TechTarget is in pitiful shape as a competitor of SYS-CON Events. Look at the actions of their senior management - they can't even spy on their competitors, forget about putting together a show. :- ))

SOA Product Review: Managed Methods JaxView 4.0

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Whether you work for a very large company with thousands of services in production or a small company with only a couple, visibility into the performance and uptime of those services is critical. Before you start investigating the myriad of governance products on the market, many of which will set you back a great deal of money, let me save you some time (and money).

Introducing SOA Design Patterns

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:15:00 EDT

Originally inspired by techniques used to design buildings and cities, and popularized by the Gang of Four during the mainstream emergence of object-orientation, design patterns have seen us through the various shifts in architecture, technology, and, of course, design. Pattern catalogs have periodically emerged, one building on the other, and each revealing a set of problem-solving techniques and providing invaluable insights as to how and when those techniques should be used to help us attain our design goals.

CIC & CSC Team, Offer SOA Solution to Banking Industry

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EDT

Communication Intelligence Corporation, a supplier of electronic signature solutions for business process automation in the financial industry and biometric signature verification, announced that it has formed an alliance with CSC, an information technology services company. Under the agreement, CSC will incorporate CIC's SignatureOne Ceremony Server software into selected CSC banking systems sold as licensed software and hosted as software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings.Under the terms of this agreement, CIC will provide CSC with its SignatureOne Ceremony Server solution. CSC will incorporate and package CIC's secure signatures into several enterprise applications and offer this service directly to its clients, expanding CSC's broad portfolio of financial services solutions.

Sweden's Modul 1 Data AB Partners With SOA Software

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Swedish IT consulting company Modul 1 Data AB announced on Wednesday, the 13th of August, that it has signed a partnership agreement with the US software company SOA Software Inc. The agreement covers consulting services related to SOA Software's SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) Governance products, Modul 1 Data said.

Vantage Travel Generates Revenue Using IBM's SOA Software

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:30:00 EDT

IBM announced that Vantage Deluxe World Travel, a travel provider for active, mature American travelers, has increased sales and improved business operations since turning to IBM to run its Web site and online booking system. Since switching to IBM WebSphere Commerce software, Vantage Travel has reduced order-taking time by 80 percent and increased revenue for the company. The new Web site also has special features to make it easier for consumers to navigate and make reservations.

SOA and Services as a Service

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

While the number of SaaS providers grows, as well as enterprise acceptance, we are really not breaking new ground. In essence, today's SaaS providers offer visual systems, meaning they communicate with a human being. They also provide a single visual interface, and the users have to take both the data and behavior as provided. We could call this an enterprise application that’s not much more than a Web site, or an old-Web technology.

SYS-CON's Virtualization Expo Was Larger Than Any Gartner Event in Two Years

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:45:00 EDT

Virtualization has quickly become a staple new concept for enterprise IT. At SYS-CON's 3rd International Virtualization Conference & Expo, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, June 23-24, we had exceptional speakers with high-quality use cases not only of how virtualization maximizes the use of resources and thus saves companies money, but also of how it is fundamentally altering the way that businesses run IT. The two content-packed days emphasized value with a rich array of sessions about the business and technical value of virtualization.

Software AG Modernizes SOA webMethods

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EDT

Software AG, a global provider of business infrastructure software, expanded the webMethods Application Modernization Suite with the introduction of the Discovery Edition. Based on Software AG's global reseller agreement with Relativity Technologies, the Discovery Edition can be used to document and analyze existing code bases - including Cobol, PL/I, RPG, Visual Basic, C/C++ and Java - in order to eliminate software deficiencies, optimize application performance and enable subsequent reuse of existing code.

iTKO LISA, dynaTrace Partner for Federated SOA Testing

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

iTKO LISA, the provider of testing, validation and virtualization solutions for SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) and enterprise software, and dynaTrace software, the provider of lifecycle application performance management for complex SOA-based systems, announce a combined solution that offers defense customers complete visibility into the quality and reliability of key software applications.

AAPT Uses SOA-Based Service Orchestration to Extend DSL Troubleshooting Process to Resellers

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:45:00 EDT

By making AAPT troubleshooting procedures available externally, AAPT reduces the complexity of providing service, improves customer satisfaction and reduces the internal resources required to support resellers and partners.

Tech Systems Deploys Critical SOA Applications with Micro Focus

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:15:00 EDT

Micro Focus announced that Tech Systems has successfully implemented Micro Focus Server for SOA. Micro Focus will enable Tech Systems to transform its IntegraSoft order and distribution management solution into a Web-based, more user-friendly application. As a result, customers will benefit from a more intuitive and accessible IntegraSoft solution without sacrificing any functionality or existing business logic.

Top Keynotes at SYS-CON's World-Beating RIA Conference & Expo: AJAX World

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:45:00 EDT

Two of the biggest launches in Rich Internet Application history took place in 2007/2008 when Adobe launched AIR 1.0 in February '08 and Microsoft launched Silverlight (September '07). At the 6th International AJAXWorld RIA Conference & Expo in October SYS-CON Events is delighted to be presenting major industry keynotes from the two industry executives with overall responsibility for both of those massive richer-web initiatives: Adobe's CTO Kevin Lynch and Scott Guthrie, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft's .NET Developer Platform.

Performance Management and ERP

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EDT

CIO's face a common battle to balance the warring requirements of providing critical business value with maximum efficiency and cost savings. As they look to simplify their IT infrastructure, they must consider where it makes sense to draw a line in the sand and say 'Here's what my vendor ERP can do, and here's what we need performance management to do - the two are not the same, and we must have the right solution for each one.'

Aligning Business and IT to Improve Performance on SAP

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EDT

Improving business performance is a goal that cannot be realized without mutual cooperation and alignment between business and IT. In collaboration, IT focuses on architecture, system administration, scalability and performance, security and infrastructure, while business evaluates the practical usability and capabilities of tools being considered and how effectively they can be integrated into organizational and business processes. All parties must ensure that both technical requirements and the business needs are well defined, harmonized and prioritized. Leaving everything to one party or the other can be a sure path to failure.

The Time for Performance Management is Now, Not Later

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Effectiveness in achieving goals and objectives has replaced efficiency as the most impactful business priority. Delay will impact performance; every day in which you aren't able to respond to a market or competitive challenge is a day lost. Your business depends on achieving planned results. To do that, management must be empowered and operational visibility improved.

SOA World Magazine Opens Polls for 6th Annual "Readers' Choice Awards"

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:45:00 EDT

SOA World Magazine announced today that the polls are now open for the SOA World Magazine Readers' Choice Awards, which recognize excellence in the software, solutions, or services provided by the industry's top vendors. Readers will be casting their votes until November 8, 2008. Winners and finalists will be announced at the 14th International SOA World Conference & Expo 2008 West, November 19-21, in San Jose, CA.

i-Technology Viewpoint: The Performance Woe of Binary XML

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:40:00 EDT

Since its inception, XML has been criticized for the overhead it introduces into the enterprise infrastructure. Business data encoded in XML takes five to 10 times more bandwidth to transmit in the network and proportionally more disk space to store.

How To Allow Services to Talk with Each Other Across Multiple JVMs

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EDT

The goal of distributed OSGi is to extend the OSGi framework for distributed computing capabilities by configuring an existing distributed computing software system (such as Web services, CORBA, or Eclipse ECF) behind an OSGi service. The demo showed a Web services solution using Apache CXF as the distribution software, but the design should work with any distributed computing system.

Sterling Infosystems Selects Sonoa to Open Its SOA Infrastructure to the Cloud

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT

Sonoa Systems announced that Sterling Infosystems has selected its ServiceNet solution to more effectively operate Sterling's SOA infrastructure and ensure enterprise-class security, manageability and performance of these customer-facing Web services.

Ecologic Analytics Announces SOA-based Interface for Silver Spring Networks

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT

Ecologic Analytics announced that the new AMI interface (i.e. gateway) for Silver Spring Networks’ latest version of Utility IQ has received deployment certification from the Ecologic Integration Lab. Designed to support large deployments, this new multi-threaded gateway enables the Ecologic MDMS to provision the Utility IQ meters as well as receive reads and event data from them.

The Three Levels of Cloud Computing

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EDT

It looks like pretty soon all computing will be called cloud computing, just because the cloud is 'in.' Fortunately most computer savvy folks actually have a pretty good idea of what the term 'cloud computing' means: outsourced, pay-as-you-go, on-demand, somewhere in the Internet, etc. What is still confusing to many is how the different offerings compare from Amazon Web Services to Google App Engine and Force.com. I recently heard a characterization of three different levels of clouds which really helps put the various offerings into perspective.

AgilePath Announces SOA Playbook Acceleration Solutions

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT

AgilePath announced a series of new SOA Playbook Acceleration Solutions. AgilePath's SOA Acceleration Solutions are a suite of integrated offerings that include targeted SOA training, SOA workshops, and SOA XPE 'sprints' focused on delivering rapid results for key SOA focus areas, all within the overall structure of AgilePath's patent pending SOA Playbook methodology.

Fortify Software Addresses Security Vulnerabilities in Web Services and SOA Configurations

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:15:00 EDT

Fortify Software unveiled a technique for identifying the security implications of using common Web Services and service-oriented architecture (SOA) frameworks. Fortify conducted a thorough study of the security of 5 popular frameworks, and found critical security concerns with how the frameworks are commonly configured and used. As a result, Fortify built new capabilities into its product, Fortify 360, to identify these vulnerabilities using source code analysis on a code base and dynamic security testing on a running application. These new capabilities have been made available to all Fortify customers.