'SOA avoids the drawbacks of traditional methods'

Dan Powers, VP of WebSphere Software, IBM Software Group (Asia Pacific),
handles business integration, pervasive computing, and Linux sales. He spoke to
Bhaswati Chakravorty of Dataquest about the essential link between
integration and SOAs and how IBM is meeting business needs for flexibility and
responsiveness through its WebSphere brand.

What is the link between integration and Service Oriented Architecture (SOAs)?

Organizations have used numerous approaches in attempting to solve their
integration problems. However, traditional approaches have had significant
disadvantages including the use of restrictive proprietary methodologies, tight
coupling, and rigorous data models. These prevent them from addressing
integration challenges in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Dan Powers

SOA avoids these drawbacks. Specific advantages include simplified and
elegant data aggregation; lower costs through use of standards such as Web
Services and XML; quick response to constantly changing business requirements
without impacting data accessibility; better distributed IT environments through
intelligent link between business needs; and technology and incremental RoI.

How is IBM meeting business needs for flexibility and responsiveness
through WebSphere?

IBM has been laying the groundwork for SOAs through its Java-based WebSphere
Application Server and integration software. Customers can adopt SOAs to solve a
number of business problems and scale the SOA implementation at their own pace
until the enterprise is transformed to a complete on-demand business. The
WebSphere Business Integration Server Foundation allows customers to build and
integrate applications within SOAs. For customers who have currently embarked on
an SOA, the IBM Assessments for SOAs help them to assess both functional and
technical aspects of their planned SOA implementation.

For customers with data in legacy systems, we offer Application Renovation
and Integration for SOAs. This will help customers to determine if there is
value in exposing legacy data and linking it with new business processes in the
SOA. Component Business Modeling allows clients to map their business processes
across entire industries and break down a business into a set of discrete
activities. Viewed this way, the pieces can be measured and benchmarked quickly-clearly
identifying the weaknesses and strengths of individual business activities.

What is your WebSphere strategy for India?

Last year we came up with a design center in India. This year, we have
already tripled our Indian sales and support team around WebSphere. Over 50% IBM
developers located across India Software Labs are working on WebSphere.
Worldwide, IBM has more than 1.1 mn registered WebSphere developers, and India
is the second-largest developer base outside the US. The developer population is
growing at 32% CAGR year-on-year. In India, registrations for developerWorks
reached more than 400,000 in 2004, from 300,000 in 2003. Through developerWorks,
IBM is reaching to almost half of India's 1 mn developers. Over 50% of the
developer population works on WebSphere. Some of our important WebSphere
customers in India are HDFC Bank, NSDL, IOCL, SBI, and BPCL. We continue to see
strong growth in emerging markets like India.