June 27th, 2005
How far will Gluecode go up the food chain?
In an earlier post, I talked a bit about the convergence of Web services/SOA and open source software. A reader pointed out that SOA "is one technology that doesn’t require that you use open source. A completely proprietary SOA solution would work - as long as the INTERFACES are standard."
I agree.
However, an SOA running on a commodity open-source environment — built with open-source toolsets — is an incredible value proposition, far more than an SOA built on Websphere, WebLogic, or Microsoft BizTalk and .NET. These app servers have steep licensing costs, and companies looking for low-end platforms to build their services can turn to open-source app servers such as JBoss and Apache Geronimo.
Now, IBM steps into the scene with Gluecode under its wing, which leverages Apache Geronimo. Adam Jollans, chief Linux strategist at the IBM Software Group, was interviewed by CRN’s Michael Vizard, about the open-source middleware market. IBM even considered open-sourcing WebSphere, he relates.
IBM intends to position Gluecode at the low end of the market, and keep WebSphere at the high end, where it’s been strongest, Jollans says. Interestingly, he predicts that Gluecode will move higher in the J2EE app server market, into WebSphere’s space. "There is no fixed dividing line between those, and actually over time it’s going to move up. But the higher end is going to move up as well. Gluecode is going to be for customers who in the past haven’t been using WebSphere, such as medium-size customers, departments, entry-level application and this whole concept of do-it-yourself application development."
Joe McKendrick is an author and consultant with deep knowledge and insights regarding trends and developments in the technology industry. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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