Event
Summary
Vignette Corporation has announced a comprehensive, three-tiered Java
technology strategy that encompasses tools, applications and a complete
Java technology-enabled platform. The Vignette V/5 e-business platform
will support Java Server Pages (JSP's) and was announced at Sun Microsystems
2000 Worldwide Java Developer Conference.
As
part of the strategy Vignette will use JAVA Server pages as a native scripting
language for rapidly developing applications, and it will make its entire
object model available implemented as Enterprise Java Beans (EJB) APIs
in the fourth quarter. The strategy was formalized as part of JavaOne(SM),
Sun's 2000 Worldwide Java Developer Conference held in San Francisco.
Central
to Vignette's Java Platform strategy are partnerships with Sun, IBM and
BEA, leaders in providing highly scalable Java technology-based application
servers to businesses. According to Doug Kaewert, vice president of market
development at Sun Microsystems, Inc, "The strong commitment Vignette
has made to the Java platform, including EJB component interfaces for
core platform services like content management, personalization and multi-channel
communication, demonstrates its commitment to extensible, standards-based
computing". The Vignette V/5 e-business platform will support XML, Java,
Java 2, and COM.
Market
Impact
Vignette recently acquired EAI vendor OnDisplay, a vendor of XML-based
business-to-business infrastructure products, which had previously acquired
Oberon Software, a vendor in "e-business enablement". The EAI vendor community
is indeed shrinking fast. Vignette will have to move quickly to establish
momentum with their V/5 initiatives or they may be the next to be absorbed
by a larger player such as Vitria or Tibco (30% probability).
The
alliances with Sun, IBM, and BEA should provide Vignette with some market
resiliency. In addition, the encapsulation of their object model in the
industry standard Enterprise Java Beans and use of XML technology is a
wise move. We also would not be surprised if Vignette attempts to acquire
additional technologies for e-business enablement by further acquisitions
(50% probability).
User
Recommendations
Customers in the early stages of setting up an e-business strategy should
consider Vignette's V/5 solution. The vendor's commitment to open standards
and the use of an object model should simplify development and ease integration
with other products. Some of the other vendors that should be examined
are Tibco, Mercator, Vitria, and Evoke. There are many other vendors attempting
to move into this space, although most of them do not refer to it as "enterprise
application integration" (examples of these are Informix and Informatica).
In any case, irrespective of which vendor is chosen, the actual product
deliverable should be closely examined and reference sites carefully questioned.