Web services development got a boost today when Serena Software Inc. announced support for Microsoft Corp.s .Net platform.
Serena makes products that help developers make changes to application code and content. Serenas ChangeMan DS 5.4 for distributed systems and ChangeMan WCM (Web Code and Content Manager) 3.1 will support Microsoft APIs for its Visual Studio .Net integrated development environment.
Microsoft plans to unveil its flagship tool suite in February. The tools, along with the .Net servers, form the backbone for creating and running Web services apps like .Net Alerts and authentication services like Passport.
The level of integration with Visual Studio .Net enables the Serena change management tools to be embedded in the VS .Net toolbar and drop-down menus, officials of Serena, in Burlingame, Calif., said.
Creating compelling Web services is proving to be a difficult integration and development task. The responsibility will fall mainly on the shoulders of corporate developers, as Microsoft, IBM, Sun and others flocking to the space are providing only frameworks, for the most part, for the services apps. When needing to integrate code from distributed mainframes and servers, development can be tedious at best.
“Developers can take business rules and wrap them in a Web service and expose them to Web [services] applications,” said Serena vice president for marketing Tony Stayner. “This will accelerate the transfer to e-business.”