Application Development: IBM WebSphere 8: 10 Reasons to Use the New Technology
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At its Impact 2011 conference in Las Vegas, IBM announced WebSphere Application Server 8, or WAS 8, new software designed to speed the development of applications and services. The new version of WAS increases users' security and control, and delivers automated enhancements for the installation, maintenance, testing and problem resolution of business applications. Complementing these capabilities are new features that extend the reach of WAS to support applications from the desktop to mobile devices, including popular smartphones and tablets such as Apple's iPad and iPhone, products running Google's Android OS, and RIM's BlackBerry portfolio. Support for these devices is critical to businesses as mobile applications constitute one of today's largest growth areas. One recent report from research firm MarketsandMarkets estimates that the global market for mobile applications should grow to $25 billion by 2015 (up from $6.8 billion in 2010). With 2011 representing IBM's 100th anniversary and the company planning a major centennial celebration, IBM is preparing to celebrate WebSphere as one of the top innovations in its history. WebSphere is IBM's foundation for middleware, which enables Web applications and computer operating systems to interoperate. Initially developed in 1997, WebSphere became one of the key catalysts for IBM's evolution beyond hardware and into software and services. As part of its centennial celebration, IBM has identified WebSphere as one of the key technology drivers that enabled the Web to become a platform for business computing. According IBM, WebSphere paved the way for virtually all commerce to become electronic and for every dimension of business operations-including customer relations, accounting, and HR-to become Web-enabled. WebSphere helped IBM become the leader of an $18 billion middleware market, and became a cornerstone for a new enterprise computing paradigm known as SOA (services-oriented architecture). WebSphere led IBM's march to become the world's second-largest software company. There are currently more than 100,000 WebSphere clients worldwide.
