Latest News from Jim Milbery

WebSphere Advanced Edition 3.5

Fri, 30 Jan 2004 07:52:08 EST

Application servers are the one category of software product that seems to be on everyone's mind these days. No longer is there any doubt in my mind that n-tier applications are the future. Certain applications will benefit from a heavy-client architecture, such as desktop publishing, but most will have at least some portion of their logic running on the middle tier.

WebLogic Server 6.0

Fri, 30 Jan 2004 07:48:00 EST

Bill Coleman, Edward Scott, and Alfred Chuang must be looking at their September 1998 acquisition of WebLogic as the best money they ever spent. WebLogic's Tengah product was a little-known, Java-based application server when BEA made the decision to buy their way into the growing market for Java application servers way back when. Since those early days the J2EE specification has matured and BEA has made great strides with the WebLogic product line. Their most recent effort is WebLogic Server 6.0 - a product that was touted with much fanfare at BEA's eWorld conference in Dallas, Texas.

Aligo Omni Mobile Platform

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Way back in the November 2001 issue of JDJ (Vol. 6, issue 11), I took a look at Aligo's M-1 Mobile Application Server. Back then, the technology market was still in the heady 'bubble' days and wireless was the next big frontier. Fast-forward to mid-2003 and here we are wallowing in the throes of an extended technology slump. However, wireless applications are still a part of the next big frontier, and the team at Aligo has been hard at work updating their software. I recently had the chance to get my hands dirty with the latest, forthcoming release of the Aligo Omni Mobile Platform.

Is the Graphical IDE a Good Thing

Fri, 01 Mar 2002 00:00:00 EST

Welcome to the first installment of JDJ Labs. Our goal is to introduce you to commercial (and open-source) products and technologies that will help you, the Java developer, work more efficiently. We expect our testing to provide you with a starting point for your own testing and analysis. In this column we’ll be looking at common market trends that affect the commercial products and services in the Java space.

XMLSpy 4.3 by Altova

Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 EST

The adoption rate for XML continues to be astounding. XML is finding its way into every server, into SDK, and developer platform out there, and so there is great need for developers to design XML Schemas, write XSLT stylesheets, debug Web services, and create XML content. One particular product that's getting lots of buzz is Altova's XML Spy. I recently spent an afternoon working with the latest release of this product - version 4.3.

Ipedo XML Database 2.0 by Ipedo, Inc.

Mon, 03 Dec 2001 00:00:00 EST

The advantages of XML as a data storage and transfer mechanism are well known and almost universally understood. However, much of the data that will be manipulated with XML is currently stored inside back-end systems. XML tends to be more verbose than some other traditional data storage technologies, so it's becoming important for customers to find new ways to speed up the delivery process of XML documents across the enterprise. One solution to this problem is the Ipedo XML database from Ipedo, a Redwood City, California, start-up company.

M-1 Mobile Application Server

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:00:00 EST

As an industry we used to consider mobile/wireless computing to be the next frontier. Now it has become part and parcel of critical, enterprise applications ranging from Customer Resource Management to Enterprise Resource Planning. Many of the early mobile computing efforts that I've run across were built around external application service providers (ASPs) and relied on gateway technology. From an investment perspective it made perfect sense to approach the problem in this manner.

Jclass Server Chart 1.1

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:00:00 EST

It's often said that 'a picture is worth a thousand words' - and I've generally found this to be true. In fact, it's often easier for users to digest numeric data when it's displayed in picture form, such as with a chart or graph. Business analysts have long understood this concept and often choose to display raw data in graphic form to make it easier to understand. With the popularity of Java servlets and JavaServer Pages, it's now possible to dynamically display this very same data on the Web. Sitraka Software is one of the premier software vendors in the Java components market. They market a powerful dynamic-charting component called JClass ServerChart, which is perfect for generating colorful charts and graphs for the Web.

Source Integrity Enterprise Edition 8.1 by MKS

Mon, 01 Oct 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Despite the 'slowdown' in technology, the developers and project managers who I speak with continue to be under enormous pressure to deliver new applications and technology at a frenetic pace. It can be incredibly difficult to juggle all the various development tasks when team members are working on multiple projects.

XML Link

Thu, 20 Sep 2001 00:00:00 EDT

The advantage of Web services lies in the ability of the 'client' application to access services and functions without having an understanding of how these services are implemented within the back-end system. Almost any business service can be implemented as a Web service. For example, a buyer might access a 'CreateOrder' service to place orders with a supplier and the supplier might return the favor by accessing invoice presentment services on the buyer's side of the equation. In both cases there are likely to be sophisticated enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications behind these businesses. Interoperability between any two systems is always limited - especially when the two partners are using (highly customized) systems from different vendors. Developers have tried to address these integration issues using EAI, application server technology, and message-oriented middleware. Rogue Wave Software is addressing this challenge in a new and interesting way with Rogue Wave XML Link.

Product Review: Forte for Java 3.0

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 EDT

In my opinion there have always been two types of Java application developers. The first type prefers to use a text editor, compiler, and debugger to get the job done. Once upon a time, this was the only way to write code, from COBOL and Fortran all the way through C. The age of the fourth-generation language introduced the concept of a specialized developer 'coding tool,' which we now refer to as an integrated development environment (IDE).

Product Review: Jtest 4.0

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 EDT

New-car buyers often fear that they're getting a 'Friday afternoon' vehicle - a car built by the last shift at the end of a tough week. Manufacturers have spent an untold number of man-years trying to prevent such defects.

Tackling the Wireless Infrastructure Problem with CompuCom

Wed, 22 Aug 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Wireless devices are proliferating throughout the marketplace faster than Tribbles. Corporate customers that I speak with identify wireless computing as a critical technology solution for their business needs. On the one hand, wireless devices such as mobile phones and PDAs are much simpler devices than personal computers and workstations. Yet they're only truly valuable to a business if they're an integral part of the business's overall computing solution.

Easy Reservations' Wireless Application

Wed, 22 Aug 2001 00:00:00 EDT

The unofficial consensus is that the United States is behind both Europe and Japan in the maturity and robustness of wireless Web applications. Sure, we're bombarded with commercials that encourage us to embrace the wireless Web, but so far the realities have fallen far short of the promises. Some of you might argue that we haven't even fully leveraged the power of the wired Web, so why bother tackling something entirely new? As IT professionals we have a tendency to fully embrace the next big thing - seeing technology as a solution in and of itself.

Gleaning Useful Lessons

Fri, 17 Aug 2001 00:00:00 EDT

I'm not sure that XML-J knew exactly what they were doing when they volunteered me for an online learning course from carriglearning. Clearly, they hadn't thought to check in with my high school Spanish teacher, who was only too happy to be done with me all those years ago.

Focus on Technology-iPhase

Mon, 16 Jul 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Browser-based computing has made technology and information accessible to a whole new class of user. While client/server computing often required formal product training and painful desktop software installations, the simplified operating environments of Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator were relatively easy to use. Despite these improvements, browser-based computing remains complex for the neophyte user to learn and understand.

Jim Milbery Interview with John Lee, CEO and Founder of Xtime

Fri, 08 Jun 2001 09:38:00 EDT

Jim Milbery: Tell me a little about Xtime's core product and why you made the jump to IVR. John Lee: Well, the core value proposition is to eliminate the pain and frustration that exist when service consumers are interacting with service providers. The scope of what we're talking about is potentially enormous. There are personal services such as health care and auto maintenance. There are enterprise services such as professional services, capital equipment leasing and training services, and many other things that businesses buy. But in all cases there's typically a lot of inefficiency that takes place when transacting and delivering services.

Transact Business over the Wireless Internet with Interactive Voice Recognition

Thu, 07 Jun 2001 16:16:00 EDT

One of the most critical initiatives that faces modern business executives is the need to improve efficiency. Savvy companies continue to drive costs out of their business model in order to improve the bottom line. Is this a sound business practice? Absolutely.

Product Review: iPlanet

Fri, 01 Jun 2001 00:00:00 EDT

iPlanet recently announced some updates to their family of Web and application server products that help consolidate the overall product line. The new product positioning won't surprise iPlanet enthusiasts as it positions iPlanet as a superior solution for a broader range of the application server marketplace. The core of these announcements is a new release of the Web server software and new packaging for the application server lineup:

ServletExec: Web Application Server by New Atlanta

Fri, 01 Jun 2001 00:00:00 EDT

In a recent editorial meeting with the JDJ staff I broached the subject of open source software with editor-in-chief, Alan Williamson. I freely admit that I was baiting him - but Alan was favorable towards it. It's a touchy subject for any technical person, sort of a motherhood and apple-pie thing.

WebLogic Server 6.0

Fri, 01 Jun 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Product Review: CocoBase Enterpise

Tue, 01 May 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Last month in JDJ (Vol. 6, issue 4) I introduced the topic of object/relational mapping. Databases such as Oracle8i or DB2 store data in tables and columns. Thus, customer data is stored in a 'customer' table and information relevant to the customer such as ID, name, and address are stored as columns. All the data for a single customer within the customer table is equivalent to a 'record.' From the EJB perspective customer data is represented by a customer 'class' and the data elements are represented by 'attributes.' Con- ceptually, the mapping process is a simple one. Each database table is an EJB class (CMP or BMP), and each and every column in the table becomes an attribute. Individual customer records are instantiated as EJB objects as necessary.

WebSphere 3.5

Sun, 01 Apr 2001 00:00:00 EST

CocoBase Enterprise

Sun, 01 Apr 2001 00:00:00 EST

One of the more complicated issues that J2EE application developers face is the process of mapping relational data to EJBs. The J2EE specification provides EJBs as the mechanism to persist objects into a database. They certainly solve lots of problems for developers, especially in the areas of transaction management and distributed computing.

Air2Web Mobile Internet Platform

Wed, 07 Mar 2001 00:00:00 EST

The wireless void is quickly being filled by new products and technologies from a host of new vendors. Many of these offerings are targeted toward developers under the 'if you build it they will come' mentality. One of the hot vendors in this space is Air2Web, established in 1999 with the mission to provide an Internet platform that includes modules for 'any type of wireless application in any industry.' Air2Web's product is the Mobile Internet platform that users can access through the Air2Web API.

WorX SE

Sun, 04 Feb 2001 00:00:00 EST

XML continues to grow more pervasive as both a content and data management solution. It's simply astounding how quickly vendors and corporations are adopting XML as part and parcel of their technology stack. While many technology standards tend to fall into either the developer or the end-user camp, XML is becoming central to both groups. Programmers are using XML to manage data, and end users are leveraging it to manage content and display data. HyperVision's WorX SE is an XML add-in for Microsoft Word that brings XML technology down to the desktop end user.

HotFoot by Digital Lava Inc.

Thu, 21 Dec 2000 00:00:00 EST

I spend most of my time working with application development tools or application servers, which means that most of the products I review fall into one of these categories. In rare instances I get the chance to take a look at other productivity tools, and sometimes I even get to have fun doing it. XML-Journal recently gave me the opportunity to work with Digital Lava's HotFoot for PowerPoint product - and I had a ball.

iPlanet Application Server 6.0

Wed, 01 Nov 2000 00:00:00 EST

Sun's iPlanet division has become the umbrella organization for all the application development software that Sun has collected over the past several years. Sun's initial foray into this business was their acquisition of application-server vendor NetDynamics - but the core technology for iPlanet came from the Sun/Netscape/AOL multiplayer trade that put control of Netscape's server products under Sun's domain. Ultimately, Sun would go on to acquire Forté Software and NetBeans to round out their application server family of products. Technically speaking, Sun doesn't own the Netscape product line outright and iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions is an alliance among AOL, Netscape, and Sun that was formed in March 1999. The iPlanet name comes from another Sun acquisition and the alliance appears to be primarily controlled by the Sun camp. The iPlanet 6.0 application server is the latest release of the consolidated product suite - one that includes code from both NetDynamics and Netscape.

eWave Studio and ServletExec

Sun, 01 Oct 2000 00:00:00 EDT

Over the past year all the major database vendors and many of the classic client/server tools vendors have turned their attention to the application server market. The venerable database and tools vendor, Unify, is no exception. Unify has released a new version of its eWave Studio and eWave application servers into the fray. It considers itself an endorser of the J2EE platform, but is not yet an official licensee of the J2EE. I recently looked at this latest release with an eye on its Servlets and JSP capabilities.

FileMaker Developer 5 by FileMaker Inc.

Thu, 14 Sep 2000 00:00:00 EDT

FileMaker Inc. is a venerable provider of database solutions for the workgroup environment. Once known as Claris, they've successfully shipped over 5 million units of their flagship FileMaker product around the world. On the eve of their annual user conference (in Palm Desert, California), I had the chance to work with FileMaker Developer 5 - the latest version of FileMaker's product line.

Ensemble Streams 3.2

Fri, 01 Sep 2000 00:00:00 EDT

Moore's Law essentially states that the processor speed for chips doubles every 18 months, and it's proved to be a fundamental tenet of the high-tech industry. Milbery's Law, on the other hand, has been less rigorously proved. It states that developers have to double their output with fewer resources every time they're asked to do so. Machines get faster and faster and developers get further and further behind. One solution to this endless cycle is to aggressively model and analyze your business requirements before you start slinging code. Ideally, the closer you track your software requirements with the needs of the business, the more likely it is that your code will match the business requirements on time and on budget. Toward that end I had the chance to look at Ensemble Systems' Ensemble Streams Professional 3.2, a business-process tool for communicating workflow models to end users, analysts and teams of software developers.

XML DevCon 2001

Fri, 18 Aug 2000 00:00:00 EDT

I've spent the majority of my career working for software vendors in one capacity or another; this has resulted in a natural aversion to trade shows. Most technical consultants who work for vendors will tell you that trade shows are one of the most difficult aspects of the job. Sales reps are off making phone calls and working deals and you're stuck in the booth handing out trinkets to a vast army of attendees. In the worst instances the company has you dressed up in some ridiculous costume dreamed up by a marketing department that doesn't have to wear it. Nowadays I go to these conferences as a full-fledged attendee on behalf of my clients, and it's a lot more fun. So it was with a light heart and a full agenda that I made my way to New York City for XML DevCon 2000.

Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 1.3/ Enterprise Edition 1.2.1

Tue, 01 Aug 2000 00:00:00 EDT

I'll be the first to admit I was a little reluctant when JDJ approached me about reviewing the newest release of Sun's Java 2 Standard Edition platform. It's a little like asking a Jim Morrison fanatic to review the Doors Greatest Hits CD. Since I spend most of my days working and thinking in Java, I find it a little hard to be truly objective about it. (And it's even more difficult to choose which topics are worthy of inclusion in a review!) Nevertheless, the Java 2 platform is jam-packed with critical technologies for building enterprise-class applications. Sun has released new versions of both the Standard and Enterprise editions, and in this article I'll be taking a brief look at them.

Gen-it for Java 1.1 by Codagen

Sat, 01 Jul 2000 00:00:00 EDT

In last month's issue of JDJ (Vol. 5 issue 6) I talked about the concept of using frameworks to automate the development of J2EE applications. Armed with this concept I took a look at Codagen Technologies' Gen-it for Java 1.1.

PowerTier 6 by Persistence

Sat, 01 Jul 2000 00:00:00 EDT

Many Internet sites and applications began life as simple static Web pages. Once developers gained some initial experience working with the Web, these same applications went from being static pages to dynamic applications. In response, a host of dynamic application servers emerged in the marketplace, many of them featuring their own proprietary languages that were derivatives of HTML tags.

Building E-Commerce Applications Using Business Components for Java

Thu, 01 Jun 2000 00:00:00 EDT

The fifth anniversary of the inaugural JavaOne conference is upon us, and there can be little doubt that Java has had a profound impact on the way that applications are developed and deployed.

LingoGUI 1.1

Sat, 01 Apr 2000 00:00:00 EST

Desktop applications, handheld devices, telephones - Internet applications can be delivered from a variety of sources and appliances. They can originate in one country and be delivered to another in the blink of an eye. As a result, no matter whether you're constructing an informational Web site or an e-commerce solution, you won't be able to service all possible users unless you can "speak their language."

Product Review: sonicadmin from Sonic Mobility

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 EST

Businesspeople and technologists generally consider their handheld devices to be primarily communications devices. They are used as schedule keepers or electronic diaries, and many users have multiple devices in hand such as a mobile phone and a PDA. The advent of Internet-enabled wireless devices such as Pocket PCs, RIM, and Palm's VII, and recently released Palm i705, have changed the rules. These hybrid devices can leverage cellular networks and provide Internet-connectivity right onboard the device.

Mobile E-Mail Access and More with Gopher King

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 EST

E-mail has become such an absolute necessity for conducting business that it's almost impossible for the modern road warrior to work without it. In fact, the problem with e-mail is that you need access to your inbox throughout the day - not just when you have a convenient network connection. Ideally, we'd all like the ability to access our e-mail (and other services) using the variety of mobile devices that we've got stuffed into our pockets and briefcases.

Product Review: PointBase Mobile Edition/Server Edition 2.0

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 EST

PointBase, formerly known as DataBahn and DataBean, is legendary Oracle founder Bruce Scott's latest venture. PointBase, an embedded database that's written entirely in Java, is available for a wide variety of platforms. The main advantages of embedded databases are their ultra-small size, self-management capabilities and portability. The PointBase Server Edition is designed to run on a wide variety of hosting platforms and uses a very small footprint. In fact, the Mobile Edition can reportedly consume as little as 270K of memory on the client. These types of databases are ideal for embedded systems and applications that require the services of a full object-relational database without all the associated overhead.

Fall Internet World - A report on the Trade Show Held Recently in New York City

Wed, 01 Dec 1999 00:00:00 EST

There's nothing better than a technology trade show in New York City in the fall. While leaves may be gently falling from the trees in New England, the movers and shakers of the Internet gather like so many Gordon Geckos to plot strategy, change the world and otherwise meet and greet the masses in the city that never sleeps.

VantagePoint 4.0 by Visualize, Inc.

Wed, 01 Dec 1999 00:00:00 EST

Founded in 1996, Visualize, Inc. develops and markets a series of Java-based products for interactive data analysis and visualization. They announced the availability of the latest version of their VantagePoint data visualization class library at JavaOne back in June, and I was recently given the opportunity to test out the new version of the software.

SQL 2000 v7.5 by Pervasive Software

Fri, 01 Oct 1999 00:00:00 EDT

Pervasive Software has released version 7.5 of its ubiquitous database engine and software development kit. I got the chance to take a look at the database and the various tools using an evaluation copy of the software for Windows NT 4.0.

Spatial Vision

Sat, 01 May 1999 00:00:00 EDT

Recently I had the opportunity to work with Sedona Geoservices' SpatialVision, an end-user application for performing geospatial data querying, data visualization and analysis. SpatialVision is designed to help your organization harvest information from your data using a geospatial focus. Geospatial analysis can be defined as the process of comparing your relational data to location data - for example, where your customers are located on a map. Sedona has targeted applications as diverse as call center management, sales operations and even service dispatching as candidates for such analysis. The company estimates that over 80% of preexisting data archives have at least a portion of their data in an inherently spatial format.

Product Review: Novera jBusiness4

Mon, 01 Feb 1999 00:00:00 EST

Novera Software announced the availability of the most recent release of their application server software at the Java Business Expo in New York in the early part of December. Version 4 of Novera Software's jBusiness application server features a new Component Constructor utility along with a new Management Console and support for Enterprise JavaBeans. The result is a powerful combination that's worth investigating if you are looking to deploy applications using an application server.

NetBeans Developer

Fri, 01 Jan 1999 00:00:00 EST

I recently had the opportunity to work with the NetBeans Developer IDE 2.0 for Java. Although the marketplace seems to be flooded with application development environments for Java programming, the team at NetBeans is offering a slightly different approach toward Java development. While the vast majority of Java-integrated development environments (IDE) are designed to run primarily under Windows-based operating systems, the NetBeans folks have built their development environment completely within Java itself. The result is a programming environment that runs on any platform that can support a JDK 1.1.5 environment.

VoyagerPro 2.0 by ObjectSpace

Tue, 01 Dec 1998 00:00:00 EST

ObjectSpace has made a name for themselves in distributed computing over the past few years. They recently announced that Sun Microsystems had licensed ObjectSpace's JGL technology (a toolkit for building and managing collections) for integration with Sun's own JavaBlend technology. ObjectSpace has followed up with the release of their VoyagerPro 2.0 product, and I had the opportunity to work with a prerelease of the software.

JProbe Profiler 1.1.1 by KL Group, Inc.

Tue, 01 Dec 1998 00:00:00 EST

The Java language removes several problem areas for developers, compared to C++ development, by its elimination of memory allocation and pointer management. While this generally makes Java programs more stable than their C++ brethren, it can often lead to the misconception that Java programs don't need to be optimized or profiled. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially when you consider that Java is being used to build enterprise-class applications, which require high performance. KL Group has built a strong reputation for supplying Java components to many of the leading software vendors, and they have extended their Java presence with JProbe Profiler.

Cyberflex Open 16K Development Kit by Schlumberger

Sun, 01 Nov 1998 00:00:00 EST

One of the coolest pieces of technology I'd ever used was a programming interface for HK Systems' mechanical cranes. However, my coolness factor just went through the roof when I got a chance to try out the Cyberflex Open 16k Development Kit from Schlumberger Smart Cards and Systems. Schlumberger is well known in high-tech oilfield and measurement systems, and the Cyberflex development team is part of their Testing and Transactions group. The Java Card technology offers some exciting opportunities for building security and "wallet" applications using the Java language, and Schlumberger is at the forefront of this effort.

Vision JADE 4.0 Business Logic Server by Vision Software Tools, Inc.

Thu, 01 Oct 1998 00:00:00 EDT

Vision JADE 4.0 is the newest release of Vision Software's application development environment for Java. While there are a bevy of Java development environments on the market, Vision JADE offers a different approach to developing Java applications. The basic design of JADE builds upon a model-driven approach to application development that Vision Software pioneered long before the world had heard of the Java language. Vision Software is in the process of releasing an updated version of JADE, version 4.0, which features a number of enhancements including an application server component.