IBM's Multiplatform WebSphere Portal Targets SOAs

service-oriented architectures, distributed computing

The portal upgrade is available for the new IBM System z9, and the eServer zSeries and iSeries platforms, the Armonk, N.Y., company said.

WebSphere Portal lets companies build a single user interface for employees to access applications and content and communicate with others. The software also provides workflow functions and acts as the front-end of automated business processes.

A SOA is a framework for integrating business applications across computer systems, whether inside or outside a corporation. The new form of distributed computing leverages web services, emerging standards for system integration using extensible markup language, or XML.