IBM's Rational Behavior

IBM executives said the shift, which comes nearly 10 months after IBM completed its purchase of Rational Software for $2 billion, will help clarify what solution providers describe as a sometimes bewildering array of IBM tools, most carrying the WebSphere label.

"There is some redundancy and overlap, and we'll try to eliminate that," Mike Devlin, general manager of IBM Rational, told CRN. "Will that cause us to change the packaging of some things? Yes. Do we know today what those changes will be? No."

Rational's portfolio already includes the Rational Rose modeling software, ClearCase change-management software and several other brands. The J2EE-centric WebSphere Studio now joins that portfolio.

Rational will become ground zero for much of IBM's tools development, Devlin said. He also reaffirmed Rational's commitment to supporting .Net and Java platforms equally.

However, some solution providers don't necessarily buy that, pointing out that Rational has better add-ons for WebSphere software than for Microsoft's e-business applications. One solution provider, who asked not to be named, said, "For Rational, apparently, Microsoft is the runt of the litter."

Devlin said the perception that Rational does not give Microsoft and Java equal consideration is inaccurate.

"We're continuing to make a major investment down both paths," he said. Devlin did say, however, that Rational's ability to leverage Java technology from IBM does mean products supporting the J2EE platform may be released faster than software supporting .Net.

The tools themselves are not the only Rational offerings that pose a threat to Microsoft. The Rational Unified Process (RUP), a formalized way to develop software that leverages Rational's tools, will become an increasingly strategic tool for IBM in its fight against Microsoft, sources said.

Devlin said Rational will leverage the processes developed by IBM Global Services to strengthen RUP, which is used by solution providers as their blueprint for building applications.

Brian Glidden, IBM alliance director at Covansys, Farmington Hills, Mich., said the IBM/Rational marriage provides a way for IBM to appeal to .Net developers who usually use Microsoft tools. "For anybody who adheres to RUP, chances are they use Rational tools," Glidden said. "Now let's say I'm a .Net programmer and I adhere to [RUP]. I may decide to go out and use a Rational tool to test what I'm doing in .Net. Now that .Net developer has a relationship with IBM they didn't have before."