Magic Updates Application Framework for i/OS

April 20, 2010 Alex Woodie

Magic Software Enterprises last week unveiled a new release of uniPaaS, its platform as a service for developing client-server and rich Internet applications (RIAs) that can be deployed on i/OS, Windows, and Linux, or deployed over the Internet via the software as a service (SaaS) model.

uniPaaS, which was first unveiled in early 2008 as G5, is the name of Magic’s current flagship application development environment. The offering borrows heavily from the rapid application development expertise of Magic’s old eDeveloper product (which targeted Windows and System i platforms), and delivers a customizable .NET-based rich client, as well as options for mobile clients and SaaS delivery.

The new release contains “hundreds” of new enhancements compared to the version 1.8 release of uniPaaS, which Magic shipped 10 months ago. Magic did not elaborate on the nature of the new features, except to say that it will give customers “an easier migration from client/server applications to RIA” and cloud-based offerings.

Eyal Pfeifel, chief technology officer for Magic Software, says the delivery of an integrated toolset for developing on-premise and cloud-based SaaS applications is crucial. “Companies considering adding mobile interfaces to their solutions are reluctant to re-develop everything from scratch, and with our uniPaaS version 1.9 release, they will be able to support their mobile workforce using the same development tools they use for desktop solutions,” Pfeifel says.

In other news, Magic Software, which is based in Israel with U.S. offices in Laguna Hills, California, has announced a new software distributor serving Poland. Connect Distribution will market and sell UniPaaS and iBOLT, Magic’s integration offering, to customers and partners in Poland. Magic is making a big push in Eastern Europe, and the signing of Connect (which also distributes or resells software for a variety of major hardware and software developers, including Attachmate, Datawatch, HiT Software, and NetIQ), is the first of multiple announcements Magic is expected to make in the coming months.