IBM To Debut SOA Tool At PartnerWorld

Hoping to give partners another reason to push service-oriented architectures (SOAs) to their customers, IBM next week will release an analytical tool that helps users better determine how long an SOA project will take and when to expect a return on investment, VARBusiness has learned.

Called the Rapid Value Analyst Tool, the product helps IT shops determine the technical, financial and human investments required to complete a given project. It also tells them over what period of time they can expect to fully recoup their investments.

"For example, it can tell them it will take six months to break even, and then how long to reach whatever financial goal they have set after that," says one source familiar with the company's plans. "Think of it as a return-on-investment calculator for SOA projects."

The product can also help partners and end users collect hard-to-find information more quickly and efficiently for helping them close deals. It can search and then report back on what specific platforms or host systems they can find the appropriate data. The tool also makes recommendations as to what technology should be used in solving a problem.

IBM officials declined to comment on the upcoming announcement. The product is to be unveiled at its PartnerWorld conference.