IBM ENHANCES VISUALAGE TOOLS for BUILDING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS for Ebusiness Submitted By: Pleon Friday, 3 October 1997
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IBM ENHANCES VISUALAGE TOOLS FOR BUILDING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS FOR eBUSINESS Submitted by: Pleon Friday, 3 October 1997 3 October 1997 IBM ENHANCES VISUALAGE TOOLS FOR BUILDING ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS FOR eBUSINESS IBM is making it easier for companies to extend their enterprise systems to public and private networks and conduct e-business. New and enhanced VisualAge* application development tools, announced today, speed the development of core business applications that link directly to the Web. With the expanded VisualAge solutions, customers can: Visually enhance enterprise applications for such systems as OS/390* with reusable, off-the-shelf software components that can be downloaded from the 'Net. Use Web browsers, such as Netscape Navigator** and Microsoft Internet Explorer**, to view and update enterprise applications, and manage team-based development across the VisualAge family. Develop OS/390 applications using Windows NT** object-oriented development environment. Develop data models and optimize physical database designs for enterprise systems. Coupled with IBM's recent delivery of enterprise application development tools such as VisualAge for Java** Enterprise and VisualAge Pacbase Version 2.0, these product enhancements provide full lifecycle application development support, while leveraging existing business applications and programming skills. Page 1 "Eye-catching graphics and visuals are important elements of e-business applications," said John Swainson, general manager, Application Development Solutions, IBM Software Solutions. "But if customers can't back up their web sites with scalable, bullet-proof business applications on their servers, they don't have a solution. VisualAge is the only family of tools for building both graphics and server-based applications. By developing and linking these bet-your-business applications to the Web, VisualAge removes the barriers to conducting e-business." Announcement Highlights VisualAge for Smalltalk Version 4 has been enhanced to enable developers to use Windows NT, in addition to OS/2*, as a development environment for creating OS/390 applications. The new release also supports Lotus Domino* applications and the messaging server, which enables customers to easily create secure, interactive business solutions for the Internet, extranets and corporate intranets. IBM will begin shipping the enhanced VisualAge for Smalltalk release on October 28. VisualAge Generator* Version 3, available today, provides full interoperability with VisualAge for Smalltalk. With the new version, Windows NT and OS/2 developers can take advantage of hundreds of pre-built, reusable Smalltalk components -- from IBM and other vendors -- to create enterprise server applications in a rapid application development environment. Available components include WebConnection*, which allows developers to extend existing applications to the Web, Lotus Notes* parts, which enable applications to interoperate with Lotus Notes and servers, and the expansive library of parts, classes and tools from third-party vendors offered through the Object Connection Program*. VisualAge Generator server applications support HP-UX** servers, Java** clients and the JavaBeans** component model, as well as other platforms. While previous versions provided access to IBM DB2*, the latest version also provides access to relational databases from Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft and others through the Open Page 2 Database Connectivity (ODBC)** standard. VisualAge Generator continues to provide integration with VisualAge TeamConnection* for large-scale version control/project management, and repository integration with other tools including VisualAge DataAtlas*. A new release of VisualAge DataAtlas, Version 2.5, extends data modeling and database design capabilities to Windows NT development environments, and also allows developers to make fast updates via incremental changes to their models and designs. Other enhancements include support for DB2 Universal Database and DB2 for OS/390 V5. Customers can easily migrate their existing data models to VisualAge DataAtlas with the help of VisualAge Exchange*. An improved VisualAge TeamConnection, available at no additional cost to existing TeamConnection customers, consolidates team development support across the VisualAge family. Customers can now manage their development teams from a Web client, performing such functions as tracking and reporting changes, fixes and new functions. VisualAge TeamConnection's open architecture now supports Microsoft's Visual Basic** and Visual C++**, and PowerSoft's PowerBuilder**, and works with Tivoli Courier* to handle the distribution of new software versions or releases. VisualAge ISPF* allows ISPF programmers to take advantage of the award-winning visual building capability of VisualAge. ISPF, Interactive System Productivity Facility, is an OS/390-based host program. The new product will be generally available in the first quarter of 1998 and supplied with OS/390. Customer Reaction Danka Office Imaging (formerly Kodak's Office Imaging Division), the exclusive distributor of Kodak photocopiers and related products and services worldwide, used VisualAge Generator to develop a complex order fulfilment system that uses Lotus Notes, IBM's MQSeries* and IMS*, and a Windows graphical user interface for order processing and management. "The first client/server application moved from concept to production in just six weeks," said Jim Cantin, systems architect at Danka Business Systems. "Without VisualAge Generator, it would have been impossible to develop an application of this magnitude within such a short time. The application is used by our customer service specialists to dynamically schedule product manufacturing, transportation, delivery and installation of high volume copiers, all based on the customer's preferred date." Pricing, Availability and Platform Support The enhanced VisualAge for Smalltalk will be generally available on October 28. Pricing will be announced at that time. Page 3 VisualAge Generator V3, generally available today, is priced at $6,499 per developer; server prices start at $1,499. Certification is now available for BESTeam members. VisualAge TeamConnection is also generally available today. Prices range from $995 to $20,995. VisualAge DataAtlas is available today, with prices ranging from $4,999 to $29,999. VisualAge Exchange, also available now, is priced at $19,999. Preview code for VisualAge ISPF can be downloaded free of charge from the Web in November at http://www.software.ibm.com/ad/ispf. Details on platform support can be found in accompanying fact sheets or on the Web at http://www.software.ibm.com/ad/. - Ends - About IBM IBM, recently ranked the number one software provider by Software Magazine, creates, develops and manufactures the industry's most advanced information technologies. IBM offers complete information about the company, its products, services and technologies through the World Wide Web. The fastest, easiest way to get information about IBM Software is to go to the IBM Software home page at http://www.software.ibm.com. IBM VisualAge was just placed in leadership quadrants by Gartner Group Inc., a leading information technology research and analysis firm. VisualAge tools were selected in the Internet, enterprise and workgroup categories. Information on IBM's entire award-winning family of VisualAge application development tools is available on the web at http://www.software.ibm.com/ad/. * Indicates trademark or registered trademark of IBM Corporation. ** Indicates trademark or registered trademark of respective companies. Ref:97/297 Page 4 Distributed via Press Release Wire (https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/) on behalf of Pleon Copyright © 1999-2021 ResponseSource, The Johnson Building, 79 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8AW, UK e: [email protected] t: 020 3426 4051 f: 0345 370 7776 w: https://www.responsesource.com.