Silverstream uses the Web to make diverse business functions
available to any user, writes Nick Langley
What is it?
Analyst firm Gartner Group describes
Silverstream as "primarily a supplier of J2EE-compliant frameworks
for e-business portals and application construction and
integration".
The company prefers to explain what it does in e-business terms, as
prototyping, developing, assembling, deploying and hosting the Web
Services that enable business functions. "Silverstream's complete
environment for building services-oriented applications lets
companies provide ubiquitous access to information and electronic
processes - no matter where it resides - across the enterprise and
trading network," it says.
Once a supplier of integrated application environments,
Silverstream has recently moved into e-business construction
frameworks, where it faces competition from the likes of Vignette
and Broadvision.
Where did it originate?
Silverstream was founded in
1996 by a group of luminaries including senior technical staff from
Lotus, Sybase and Citrix, and CEO David Litwack, co-founder of
Powersoft.
What is it for?
There are two key elements to the
latest release. The first is ePortal, which provides features for
content creation; storage and caching; personalisation and user
profiling; and workflow, using components that can be extended with
Java.
The other is xCommerce, which provides an integrated environment
for XML-based, Web-services-oriented applications development.
They come with various tools and adapters, such as those for 3270
terminal protocol and Cics/Cobol, message queuing, Java objects and
RDBMS tables. The runtime environment runs on any J2EE-compliant
application server.
What makes it special?
While Broadvision and Vignette
are moving away from proprietary frameworks and development
languages, Silverstream has already done so.
Silverstream offers its own application server, but will also
support any other J2EE platform, including IBM's Websphere and
BEA's Weblogic. The same goes for integrated development
environments: Silverstream has its own, but supports others such as
JBuilder or WebGain's Visual Cafe.
How difficult is it?
Java, Javabeans, EJB, and JSP
developers can all work in their native mode, or use the Java
integrated development environments (IDEs) mentioned above. But
Gartner warns, "These IDEs are for Java professionals, not casual
developers."
Where is it used?
Partners include Sybase, Sun,
Netscape and Microsoft. Customers include Deutsche Bank, Siemens IT
Services, Chubb Insurance, Johnson and Johnson, Glaxo Smithkline,
MCIWorldCom and Wincanton Logistics.
What does it run on?
Silverstream says its
service-oriented architecture can integrate "whatever services you
like: Web Services, Cics, MQ Series, 3270 Screens, EJBs, relational
databases, HTML Web pages, etc".
Training
Despite its hefty European presence, Silverstream
relegates European training and events to hard-to-find pages on its
US-centric Web site. Try www.silverstream.com for UK training
partners. There are also informal seminars in the UK and around
Europe. Alternatively, call the UK office on 01442-860500.
Rates of pay
Demand for Silverstream is growing.
Experienced developers get £35,000 to £40,000. There are few
opportunities for the inexperienced, despite the relative newness
of the skill. "Architects" and consultants can expect £75,000 to
£85,000.