Off-grid dev software brings speedy approach to enterprise apps -- ADTmag

Off-grid dev software brings speedy approach to enterprise apps

By Jason Turcotte
June 21, 2006

<>Editor's Note:
Application Development Trends retracts a faulty vendor claim included in the article “Off-grid software brings speedy approach to enterprise apps,” which posted at ADTmag.com on June 21. We regretfully admit inaccuracies to the following statement: “IBM – which executed the software’s scalability testing – reports Symphony is more scalable across Windows and Linux than DataSynapse and other grid products, functioning across all operating systems.” Kevin Acocella, public relations representative for Deep Computing, IBM, says that while IBM provided the computing environment for Platform Computing’s product scalability testing, IBM did not conduct the testing, nor did the company compare the Symphony 3 product scalability to that of DataSynapse. The statement was supplied to ADT staff by Platform through Ricochet Public Relations, the firm handling the company's announcement. According to a representative at Ricochet, the false claim came directly from Platform and was included in press information, consequently appearing in our article. ADTmag.com apologizes for the inaccuracy to its readership and to DataSynapse.

This week Platform Computing released a new software grid tool, Symphony 3, which virtualizes compute-intensive app services across varied IT resources to create a shared, scaleable and fault-tolerant system. And new features to Symphony’s modular grid structure is said to speed up the app dev process.

The grid structure expedites the dev process by enabling developers to work off-grid without interfering with IT. Now IT can manage its apps without delaying dev resources and developers can work independently of IT; they can set up mini clusters, run metrics, run benchmarks and publish.

“Our customers see these additional capabilities as a significant advantage to them,” said Martin Harris, product manager, Platform Computing.

According to Harris, one client that provides risk assessment portfolios to traders cut some of its app time down from 10 hours to seven minutes, thanks to Platform’s grid solution. He says the off-grid feature not only saves time but money.

IBM – which executed the software’s scalability testing – reports Symphony is more scalable across Windows and Linux than DataSynapse and other grid products, functioning across all operating systems. Platform also offers a free toolkit download that helps Symphony customers create apps and import those apps into the grid.

The software features the Platform Enterprise Grid Orchestrator, or EGO to create a single, virtual environment that can share any app on a grid. In a nutshell, says Harris, Symphony “repurposes” a customer’s existing apps into the grid system.

Platform Computing designed Symphony 3 in response to increasing demand from its financial clients – who represent roughly 80 percent of the software’s customer base – to deploy grid software. Clients include HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Fortis, BNP, Sal Oppenheim, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd., UFJ Bank, Mass Mutual Financial Group, Deutsche Bank and Ernst & Young. The software’s latest version is available June 30.

About the Author

Jason Turcotte is an assistant editor at Application Development Trends. He can be reached at [email protected].