WebLogic 7 Preview
A PASSEL OF NEW PRODUCTS
>> WebLogic Workshop (code-named Cajun): Available in the first half of 2002.
>> WebLogic Server 7.0: Available in the first half of 2002.
>> WebLogic Enterprise Platform 7.0: Available in the first half of 2002.
San Jose, Calif.-based BEA plans to unveil at its eWorld conference here a new version of its WebLogic Application Server; a full product version of its application framework and runtime environment, code-named Cajun and now called WebLogic Workshop; and a new, integrated WebLogic Enterprise Platform that combines the application server, portal server, integration server and WebLogic Workshop into one product. The products are scheduled to ship by midyear, BEA executives said.
BEA also plans to launch a new program and portal for developers, called dev2dev. In addition, the vendor is reducing the fee for entry-level partners to join its Star Partner Program to $3,000 from $6,500, said Rauline Ochs, senior vice president of worldwide partner initiatives for BEA.
The vendor intends to introduce dev2dev this week, and the Star Partner Program changes will be made in the first half of 2002, she said.
The company first positioned Cajun as a development framework similar to Microsoft's Visual Basic tool at its analyst conference last November. Now known as WebLogic Workshop, the framework will make it easier for application developers to create applications for the Java 2, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) environment without having to be familiar with Java, said Tyler Jewell, BEA's director of technological evangelism.
eWorld comes as BEA faces heightened competition from vendors including IBM and Sun, both of which are investing heavily in application infrastructure, said Shawn Willett, principal analyst for Current Analysis.
BEA REACHES OUT TO CHANNEL
>> dev2dev; A new Web site and other perks to increase BEA's developer base. Available Feb. 25
>> Star Partner changes: Entry fee for one-star partners cut to $3,000; more partner resources to be alloted in first half of 2002.
"BEA is under pressure due to the fact that the major players, not just IBM, but now Sun and Oracle, are literally throwing everything they've got at this application server/application framework market," said Willett.
No vendor has a completely integrated product set yet, Willett said.
Christian Pease, director of channel sales with Toronto-based solution provider Burntsand, said despite the increased competition, his company has not seen BEA's stature slip.
"I can't say we've gone into an environment where the reason we weren't successful was because BEA wasn't successful," he said.
Pease said IBM is a "formidable competitor" to BEA and other vendors, but he is not concerned that the increasing market share of IBM's WebSphere products will weaken BEA.
"[BEA remains financially strong and continues to build out its product line," said Pease. "It seems like they're in a better position than most companies to defend themselves against such strong competition."