Rational Stands Behind Microsoft Tools Agenda

However, Microsoft,anticipating lackluster support from Rational now that the company is part of the IBM Software Group,continues to move ahead with its own efforts to develop a UML-based modeling tool, sources said.

Rational plans to build out strategies for developing best practices as well as extending existing tools for model-driven development, testing and enterprise change management, said Eric Schurr, vice president of marketing at Rational.

Many of those initiatives will integrate existing tools and processes with IBM's other software brands, including Tivoli, WebSphere, DB2 and Lotus, Schurr said.

Randy Howie, CEO of Ridgefield, Conn.-based solution provider Black Diamond Software, said that while Rational's strategy is a work in progress, he has seen more support for the channel since the company became part of IBM. "It's clear that they are now looking much more at a channel and partner strategy for growth than Rational ever has," Howie said.

Although integration between Rational and IBM's other software divisions is key to the group's plan, Schurr said tools such as Rational XDE and Rational Rose will continue to support Microsoft development.

"IBM supports customers and heterogeneous environments," Schurr said. ".Net is a platform we will see happening for some time, and we'll continue to support it."

But John Meyer, senior industry analyst at Forrester Research, noted that "there is a slight bias [toward] Linux and J2EE now that IBM owns Rational."

In the meantime, Microsoft is working to develop a UML-based modeling tool of its own, solution providers said.

One source said Microsoft isn't developing a tool that follows UML to the letter because UML can be difficult and time-consuming to use. Instead, Microsoft will take "aspects of UML that can be enhanced" to simplify development for professional developers, the source said, adding that the software giant is expected to unveil its plans at its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles next month.

Andrew Brust, president of New York-based solution provider Progressive Systems Consulting, said he isn't certain about Microsoft's plans, but given the company's track record and its plans for future versions of Visual Studio .Net, he expects Microsoft will "create a tool that will eliminate the mundane coding tasks but do it in a more direct way than getting people down and dirty into UML."