XML at Interop 2005: Is XML Still Relevant?

I was curious to see how the players in networking were being influenced by Web Services and Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs), both hot topics in the XML world. A recent research report from ZapThink (http://www.zapthink.com) predicted a growth in XML traffic on corporate networks from 15% in 2004 to just under 48% by 2008. With these numbers in mind, I decided to brave the windy canyons of the Big Apple and see for myself how XML and network managers were getting along.

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XML acceleration, security stay hot in SOA

XML appliances are “a class of service intermediary,” said Jason Bloomberg, senior analyst at ZapThink LLC in Waltham, Mass. “All these appliances, as well as offerings from vendors like Blue Titan, are really an alternative to the middleware approach to SOA infrastructure that ESB vendors are [taking]. A lot of middleware vendors are trying to come up with new ways to sell old middleware. That’s not the right approach to building an agile SOA infrastructure.”

In contrast, he said, “an intelligent intermediary approach is more flexible. It relies on the network you already have, and you can have as many intermediaries as you need. You can have an enterprise-class SOA infrastructure without the need for an ESB.”

Unlike some competitors in this space, Forum’s products are available in multiple form factors: software, PCI-card and appliance. Offering both hardware and software versions “opens it up to different potential customers and partners,” Bloomberg said. And, he added, “they have the threat protection angle other that appliances don’t emphasize. This is Forum’s core strength.”

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Tech Stalwarts Eye XML Hardware

The market for XML-aware network gear took hold a few years ago, when users began to realize that processing bulky XML messages could eat nearly 80% of server processing power if it was done with traditional application server Latest News about Application Servers software. As more companies consider developing service-oriented architectures (SOA), I.T. executives are weighing the network implications of introducing XML-heavy application traffic, says Ron Schmelzer, a senior analyst at ZapThink.

“A lot of the network operations and data center Latest News about data center people are saying, OK, great, make this SOA decision, but don’t impose a huge burden on this network that I have to protect. They may be demanding performance solutions even before some of these SOA projects get off the ground,” Schmelzer says.

In the past IBM has focused on the software and professional services side of SOA, “and this announcement shows that hardware and network appliances play an equal role in making an SOA a reality,” Schmelzer says. The acquisition puts pressure on other infrastructureRelevant Products/Services from BMC Software platform vendors, such as BEA Systems Latest News about BEA Systems and Oracle Latest News about Oracle, to broaden their software- and services-centric SOA coverage, he says.

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How DataPower acquisition bolsters IBM WebSphere

“For IBM, this deal is very significant for a couple of reasons,” said Ronald Schmelzer, senior analyst with ZapThink, LLC, an IT advisory and analysis firm in Waltham, MA, that specializes in XML and Web services. “Primarily, it adds a product to the WebSphere line that fills the gap around performance optimization. Previously, you could achieve this type of performance with just WebSphere, but that was very inefficient. Why use six application servers when you can have one box?”

The acquisition, Schmelzer said, “shows the market is consolidating, and through 2006, you’ll see a lot more consolidation in this area.”

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IBM buys DataPower in SOA power play

Analysts said IBM’s purchase of DataPower shows that IBM understands SOA is not only about software.

“IBM is clearly showing that software alone won’t solve the totality of SOA challenges,” said Ron Schmelzer senior analyst at ZapThink.

“With IBM’s entry into the network appliance space for SOA, we think this will turn up the heat on the other platform vendors such as BEA and Oracle to consider how they too will broaden their coverage of SOA beyond simply software and professional services,” Schmelzer said.

“DataPower’s product suite of integration, security, and performance appliances will fill various holes within IBM’s broad SOA offering,” said Jason Bloomberg, also a senior analyst at ZapThink.

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IBM Acquires SOA Vendor DataPower

Jason Bloomberg, analyst for market researcher ZapThink LLC, praised the acquisition, saying IBM is buying the “sales leader in the application-oriented networking space.” In addition, DataPower already had a solid relationship with IBM’s WebSphere, Global Services and hardware groups.

“DataPower’s product suite of integration, security, and performance appliances will fill various holes within IBM’s broad SOA offering,” Bloomberg said.

In addition, the purchase reflects the importance of hardware and network appliances in building an SOA, ZapThink analyst Ronald Schmelzer

“With IBM’s entry into the network appliance space for SOA, we think this will turn up the heat on the other platform vendors such as BEA (Systems Inc.) and Oracle (Corp.) to consider how they too will broaden their coverage of SOA beyond simply software and professional services,” Schmelzer said.

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IBM Buys DataPower, Adding Hardware to SOA Arsenal

“IBM once again shows its SOA leadership with this acquisition,” said Jason Bloomberg, an analyst with ZapThink LLC, in Waltham, Mass. “DataPower is the sales leader in the application-oriented networking space, and they have already cultivated solid relationships with the WebSphere, IGS and hardware groups. DataPower’s product suite of integration, security, and performance appliances will fill various holes within IBM’s broad SOA offering.”

Indeed, added Bloomberg: “Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this announcement is IBM’s decision to put DataPower within WebSphere, in the software group. This choice demonstrates IBM’s understanding that SOA is not a software problem alone.

Read more at: eWeek

IBM to Buy Into XML Messaging

Adding DataPower fills a sizeable hole in Big Blue’s SOA portfolio, because it will be able to offer secure, speedy and integrated XML messaging from one box, rather than a bunch of point solutions from WebSphere and IGS.

ZapThink analyst Jason Bloomberg agreed.

“DataPower is the sales leader in the application-oriented networking space, and they have already cultivated solid relationships with the WebSphere, IGS, and hardware groups,” Bloomberg said. “DataPower’s product suite of integration, security, and performance appliances will fill various holes within IBM’s broad SOA offering.”

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IBM buys XML appliance maker

Analysts and DataPower competitors said that IBM’s move, coupled with Cisco and Intel’s investment in XML appliances, validates what is a relatively new product category.

“IBM is clearly showing that software alone won’t solve the totality of SOA challenges,” said Ron Schmelzer, an analyst at ZapThink. “This will turn up the heat on the other platform vendors such as BEA (Systems) and Oracle to consider how they too will broaden their coverage of SOA beyond simply software and professional services.”

Read more at: ZDNet / Cnet

IBM gets XML muscle with DataPower acquisition

Ron Schmelzer, senior analyst at Waltham, Mass.-based ZapThink LLC, believes “IBM is going to sell the hell out of this product,” pointing out that “it’s hard to create a distributed computing environment without addressing the network.”

Schmelzer also thinks this move could light a fire under IBM competitors such as BEA Systems Inc., Oracle Corp. Sun Microsystems Inc. and Microsoft, pushing them toward gobbling up some of DataPower’s chief competitors in the XML networking arena.

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