New MuleSoft Open-Source ESB Toolset Offers Cloud Application Links
The new Mule ESB 3.1 also provides a management console with capabilities based on the DevOps movement to develop a common set of processes and methodologies that cover software development, technology operations and quality assurance.
MuleSoft's software, which competes with ESB software from Tibco, IBM and Oracle, is built on the open-source Mule ESB and Apache Tomcat technologies. The company follows a business model similar to that of MySQL, offering a free "community edition" of its product and a commercial version with extended capabilities and support services.
Mule ESB 3.1 is "a major generational upgrade" of the software, said Mateo Almenta Reca, in an interview.
Topping the list of enhancements is the Mule Cloud Connect technology that allows developers to integrate enterprise applications and data with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications, social media networks and cloud-based services. The new ESB also provides a Mule Cloud Connect Development Toolkit for building cloud connectors.
The new DevOps features in Mule ESB 3.1, including the new collaborative deployment, fine-grained access controls and customizable dashboards, are built into the software's management console.
Those capabilities allow cross-functional teams of development, quality assurance and operations managers to use the same console for deploying, monitoring and managing Mule applications, according to the company, and yet see data that's specific to their roles, Reca said.
The new cloud integration capabilities will particularly be a boon to MuleSoft's VAR partners, said Mahau Ma, MuleSoft's marketing vice president. As SaaS applications such as Salesforce.com and Intacct grow in popularity there is increased demand on solution providers to integrate those applications with on-premise systems using ESB technology and other tools, he said.
MuleSoft works with a number of VARs and consulting partners, including Callista Entiros, FastConnect and Ricston. Although the channel now accounts for less than half of MuleSoft's sales, Mahau said a focus for the company this year is working more closely with channel partners.