Vendors Key On Infrastructure Integration - Page 2
Management Tools Gain Greater Features
Among vendors, one big integration thrust is toward adding more capabilities to existing products for security and network management, systems monitoring, database administration, and content management.
IBM's WebSphere Transaction Monitor, for example, doubles as a monitoring tool and integration platform, notes Mills.
For its part, IBM Tivoli is planning more capabilities in the areas of automated monitoring and network provisioning, according to Wojtowecz. Although plans are still being finalized, these new features might show up in the next edition of Tivoli Security Suite, a product that is expected to ship in October.
Earlier this month, Tivoli unveiled IBM WebSphere MQ Extended Security Edition V5.3, a product that rolls together IBM WebSphere MQ with Tivoli Access Manager for Business Integration.
Banks, government agencies, and other groups that use WebSphere MQ for crossplatform "sensitive messaging" can now reap the benefits of Tivoli's encryption and policy-based administration, Wojtowecz says. However, WebSphere MQ will continue to be available on a standalone basis, as will Tivoli Access Manager for Business Integration.
Meanwhile, IBM Lotus has launched Lotus Workplace, an initiative designed to provide new communications functions to "deskless workers" by combining elements of WebSphere with Lotus software. Lotus Workplace Messaging is the first product to be announced for Workplace.
In a phased rollout through early next year, Lotus plans to add a number of new capabilities to Workplace, including calendaring functionality, a Workplace portlet for WebSphere Portal 5, and easy integration between Workplace and Lotus Notes/Domino, reports David Lorden, director of strategy and market intelligence for Lotus.
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