iWay Software Launches Major Release of Integration Toolset

by Alex Woodie

iWay Software, an Information Builders company, recently completed a busy spring season with a major new release of its enterprise application integration (EAI) tool suite at its annual user conference. iWay replaced its flagship product, Enterprise Integration Suite 2002, with a new release, called iWay Software Version 5.5, which features numerous enhancements, like new support for XML, Java messaging, open standards, and a new GUI for managing the stable of iWay adapters, now numbering more than 250.

Spun off from New York City-based Information Builders just a couple of years ago, iWay Software is already a force in the market for EAI, in which iWay has positioned itself as a provider of affordable and easy-to-use EAI for companies large and small, and in which market researcher Gartner recently improved the company's Magic Quadrant standing from "niche player" to "visionary."

iWay says Version 5.5 marks a major milestone in the history of the application integration suite, and makes it easier for companies--including companies running OS/400 servers, which are supported by the suite--to implement affordable enterprise application integration on a project-by-project basis.

At the heart of these claims is an enhanced XML Transformation Engine in iWay Software 5.5, which provides a new feature the company calls "intelligent routing." This intelligent-routing capability lets companies orchestrate the flow of messages on a point-by-point basis among applications in an enterprise, without requiring them to implement a centralized broker-based system. Version 5.5 also supports Java Message Service messaging, which, in combination with intelligent routing, positions iWay well for the emerging market for enterprise service bus (esb) technology, the company says.

A new GUI management console in iWay Software 5.5 helps developers manage and apply the iWay in the development of Web services applications. This new management GUI is available via Microsoft ASP.NET or a Java Swing GUI, and should make it much easier for developers to call information sources as a Web service, using an adapter. The company has also instituted a new policy-based security provision to make using Web services technologies in pursuit of EAI more secure. This capability allows different access restrictions to be set for different clients based on origin or identity.

iWay Software 5.5 also features enhanced EDI/XML capabilities, including AS-2 certification, and support for vertical EDI standards, such as ACORD, UCCnet, Omgeo, SWIFT 2003, and HIPAA 4010A. The company says it has broadened the iWay Software server's support to run on Unix, and now offers new internationalization options, including support for the Unicode and Kanji character sets.

The release of iWay Software 5.5, at the company's joint user conference with Information Builders in Chicago two weeks ago, made spring an active season for iWay, which saw a number of important announcements. In April, iWay announced the creation of the new iWay Application Adapter Factory, in which the company works with other ISVs and systems integrators to create new adapters.

In the past year, iWay's suite of adapters--already one of the biggest in the business--grew by about 50. In terms of access to the OS/400 server or OS/400 assets, there are several iWay adapters that could be applied, including the RPG, COBOL, 5250, DB2/400, native OS/400, WebSphere, or WebSphere MQ adapter. iWay also sells application-specific adapters for J.D. Edwards World and OneWorld suites. iWay has several OEM agreements with ISVs in the OS/400 space, including Karora, Lakeview Technology, Metaserver, and Sterling Commerce.

In other iWay news this spring, the company announced that its software has been deemed in compliance by Claredi , the trusted third-party HIPAA EDI-transaction certifier used by healthcare providers, insurers, and clearinghouses, for generating HIPAA-compliant transactions at both type 2 and type 5. In March, iWay announced two vertical-specific offerings for the financial services and healthcare industries.

Sponsored By FAST400

What makes IBM different from Microsoft regarding Fast400?? What is Fast400? You are hearing a lot about Fast400 aren't you? But what is Fast400? Fast400 is a "tuning" product for the iSeries. Fast400 will allow an iSeries server to utilize the available CPW for interactive processing. IBM would have you believe that these interactive cards that cost thousands to millions of dollars, actually add value to your server. By buying Fast400, you do not ever need to buy another interactive card for your iSeries. For a free demonstration of Fast400, please visit www.fast400.net. Why Fast400? A few years ago Microsoft would not let other software companies build tools to work with the Windows operating system. Microsoft did all kinds of scurrilous things to stop other manufacturers' software from working on their platform. They would put code in the base operating system that prevented other companies code from working properly. IBM even had these issues with Operations Navigator. In the early days of Operations Navigator, the developers in Rochester had to scrap early versions because Microsoft did not want IBM leverage on what was proprietary to them. Netscape also had a few problems using the Windows operating system. The result Now we all know what happened to Microsoft. After spending tens of millions of our tax dollars in the trial, the US government told Microsoft that they were acting as a monopoly and what they did was not right or fair. The similarity IBM is doing exactly the same thing to Fast400 as Microsoft did. IBM has changed the operating system of the iSeries 400 to prevent Fast400 from working. In fact this has been done several times now, and each time the Fast400 developers produce a new fix to circumvent the IBM action. Why does IBM do this? because Fast400 takes money out of IBM's pocket. The potential for IBM to make billions from its user base, for delivering virtually no product is tantamount to corporate deception! Did IBM change the operating system when EMC introduced a low cost storage solution for the iSeries? The future The cat and mouse game between IBM and Fast400 is already a year old. Every time IBM changes the operating system to disable Fast400, the developers of Fast400 produce a new version within days to enable it again. Does Fast400 have a commercial agenda? Of course it does. Fast400 is in business to provide its clients with added benefits, which will maximise the interactive performance of iSeries 400 servers. And as we are a business, why shouldn't we charge a nominal fee for that service? A fee that our clients see as being fair and proper. After all, it's not Fast400 that is making enemies in the user base. As long as IBM wants to play "David and Goliath" we will continue to "out" the giant. Fast400 is not running, you can be assured!! For more information, please visit www.fast400.net.