BEA Set To Ship WebLogic 10

WebLogic 10 features built-in Eclipse tools and support for an assortment of modern standards, including the Java EE 5 platform released last May. Solution providers have said they don't expect a significant uptake for Java EE 5 until leading app-server makers update their software to support the new platform.

BEA vies with Oracle and IBM for top market share in the app server market. Though IBM leads in overall share, BEA is the top vendor in the "distributed" market of app servers built on modern frameworks like Java and .Net, according to research firm IDC.

In 2005, the most recent year for which data is available, BEA held a 24 percent share of that market, with IBM and Oracle nipping at its heels, IDC reported.

A few Java EE 5 app servers are already available, such as Sun's "GlassFish" open-source offering and SAP's NetWeaver.

BEA validated a preview version of WebLogic 10 last year. The software's general release on Monday will make it the first top-tier app server with Java EE 5 support.