Middleware - like Web services - is one of those terms that mean different things to different people. It is not new: systems such as IBM's MQSeries have been around for years and are often described as messaging systems that can link pieces of information in different databases or network infrastructures to speed up problem-solving.
While such tools may be widely available, maximising the potential for using them takes skill. Companies such as Unisys believe that use of intelligent middleware is a key differentiator. 'We've bought a lot of domain intelligence in systems like WebLogic, WebSphere and MQSeries and this is enabling powerful new solutions,' says Unisys vice-president and general manager for commercial industries Peter Armstrong.
These types of tools generally use standard XML tags to 'label' the various data elements and allow high-speed connections and searches. They make it easier for disparate bits of information to be linked in ad hoc ways and are also platform-independent, so it does not matter if the information is stored in a mix of Unix, mainframe or NT systems.
JD Edwards has released a new generation of eXtended Process Integration middleware (XPI) targeted at collaborative activities, which allows suppliers, customers and other trading partners to share information across different software platforms. JD Edwards has also been promoting its pre-set suite of eXtended Business Processes (XBP), which include collaborative functions such as order-matching and address book synchronisation. These is a similar concept to Web services and the new XPI system allows existing XBP operations to be deployed as Web services, or for integration between these processes and third-party Web service offers.
IVIS has developed a new package based on a categorisation engine that allows the development of flexible product-to-product relationships and the addition of semantic data - ordinary text instead of computer-defined jargon - to create a richer product knowledge database. This can be linked to real-time event triggers for use in promotions planning and monitoring, for example. 'This goes further than the conventional middleware approach, because by using semantic language, business users can use it to be more responsive and flexible,' argues IVIS Group founder and chief executive Qusai Sarraf.
Contacts: IVIS - 020 8579 3335; JD Edwards - 0118 909 1800; Unisys - 01895 237137.
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