PolarLake’s Integration Suite was previously made up of three major components for Java and J2EE integration, database integration, and integration with messaging systems such as WebSphere MQ or Tibco. Various application integration adapters completed the suite.
The Dublin, Ireland-based company said that with the launch of version 4.0, it has added a Process Integrator component with support for the business process execution language and business activity monitoring, both aimed at helping customers handle process management.
PolarLake Process Integrator is built on the same XML Dynamic Runtime server as the rest of the suite. Using the Process Integrator, system developers can import and export BPEL definitions, and allow non-SOAP messages (even non-XML) to be included within the orchestration as Process Circuits, the company said.
PolarLake BAM enables users to define a range of metrics ranging from basic activity metrics, such as the number of transactions being processed, to sophisticated business metrics such as the total worth of those transactions. This information can then be stored in any relational database and queried via the PolarLake activity monitor or third-party BAM tools.
Additional functionality improvements include support for XQuery, which can be used to define content-based routing and to transform documents being processed within the XML Circuits; enhanced support for many-to-many document maps with the PolarLake Mapper; enhanced support for many-to-many mapping between database tables and XML documents; additional support for non-XML formats; and an improved WSDL editor.
In an interview with ComputerWire back in May, PolarLake’s CEO Ronan Bradley said that PolarLake will only tackle process management in terms of managing transactions between applications, systems or databases. He said the company is not attempting to compete with vendors targeting human-to-human process integration, or workflow.
PolarLake was spun out of Irish mobile software developer Xiam Ltd two years ago. It is privately held and VC backed. Bradley was once VP of product management at Irish Corba middleware developer, Iona.
Competition is heating up in the enterprise service bus market, as companies turn to the technology as a way of integrating assets within a service oriented architecture. Sonic Software is credited with coining the term but vendors like SeeBeyond Technology, Software AG, Cape Clear, PolarLake and Fiorano Software are among the companies with an ESB.
BEA Systems has recently stated its intention to launch an ESB some time next year, but has also told ComputerWire that it would not rule out an acquisition in this area. IBM is also said to be working on an ESB that will rely on the tighter integration of lower level messaging protocols with its integration tools. IBM has also not been averse to acquiring companies to flesh out its integration software portfolio.
