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IBM is promoting a development model for building high-end e- business applications using Internet standards and IBM technologies.
Arguably the most important Java player this side of Sun Microsystems, IBM is planning a formal certification process for its Application Framework for E-Business, which specifies how key technologies-including Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) and the Extensible Markup Language-can be used in concert with IBM products, programming models and best practices.
IBM's certification program mirrors Sun's 100% Pure Java and even Microsoft's Windows NT certification program.
Although application frameworks can quickly devolve into marketing fluff, the sheer size and influence of IBM and the added weight of a formal certification programcould make the Application Framework for E-Business a high priority for corporate IT organizations, analysts said.
"Today, I can buy an AS/400 program. Tomorrow, I should be able to buy an IBM-branded and IBM-certified Java program that I can run on all IBM platforms, and maybe other platforms as well," said Aberdeen Group analyst Tim Sloane. "I'm stunned there aren't certification, branding and marketing efforts around these enterprise Java platforms already. It's a huge hole."
Key IBM partners, such as systems integrator Ernst & Young, are starting to build critical business applications for their clients using the Application Framework for E-Business guidelines.
The systems integrator has instituted an internal training and education effort to get its developers up to speed on the framework, and is using IBM's guidelines on...