News

Bowstreet ports Web Factory to SunOne

• By John K. Waters
• January 21, 2002

Observers say the deal is important for Sun, which has been playing catch-up in the hot Web services business. It provides a new XML standards-based tool for Java and iPlanet developers, allowing them to use Web Factory as a platform for the creation and maintenance of Web applications on demand. The deal furthers an earlier agreement calling for Bowstreet to simply support SunOne.

The Bowstreet Business Web Factory is a Web services development and assembly platform said to automate the creation and maintenance of complex Web applications on demand. Applications created using Web Factory can be deployed as stand-alone apps or via a Web server. Sun and Bowstreet officials say they expect the most common deployments to be made via the iPlanet portal server. Sun's iPlanet offering is the third application server to integrate the Bowstreet tool—the company already has deals with IBM's WebSphere and BEA's WebLogic.

The Web Factory support for the iPlanet portal server is probably a competitive necessity for Sun, said Gartner Group analyst Daryl Plummer. The central role application servers play in Web services delivery makes it "increasingly evident that the ability to dynamically assemble Web services is a key component for any J2EE application server environment," Plummer said.

Bowstreet has also announced the availability of its Web Services FastTrack, a suite of software, training, and services designed to assist companies in developing a Web services strategy. According to the company, Bowstreet will work with FastTrack customers to identify, create, catalog, consume and provision Web services in their organization. The new suite includes a limited license for the Web Factory; a two-hour "webinar" on Web services; a half-day, on-site training workshop, and two weeks of on-the-job training from Bowstreet services consultants.

For more on Web Services, go to: http://www.adtmag.com/section.asp?section=specialreport.