A source in IBM’s Hursley, UK software labs – which are responsible for much of the WebSphere integration software development – said in an interview with ComputerWire that, We are actively looking at this space to see whether for some requirements, something actually labeled WebSphere ESB is a requirement, or if our approach is to say that we can build something out of the technologies we already have.
Asked whether a possible WebSphere ESB would be a brand new product or merely a rebranding of existing functionality within the broad WebSphere suite, the source said: I can’t disclose future product plans in exacting detail. I can say that we are working with the market and customers to see what works best for them.
While IBM has started to use the term ESB when describing the capabilities of WebSphere MQ Series 6, it is debatable whether it satisfies all of the requirements of an ESB. For example analysts have said it lacks features such as a repository and certain smart routing capabilities that buses should provide, though these could potentially be handled by other components in IBM’s WebSphere portfolio.
In a November 2004 article, Martin Keen, IBM’s WebSphere and patterns for e-business specialist, wrote that, In IBM’s Business Integration Reference Architecture… we can use the following products for implementing an ESB as part of a service-oriented architecture: WebSphere MQ; Web Services Gateway (part of WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment); WebSphere Business Integration Event Broker; and WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker. He added that, IBM recommends the use of these components for implementing an ESB today.
In an article in January this year by IBM’s Rachel Reinitz, senior consulting IT specialist, and Andre Tost, IBM senior technical staff member, they argued that in fact WebSphere Application Server version 6, Introduces a new messaging engine that includes many of the functional features needed to construct an Enterprise Service Bus.
But rival ESB vendors like Sonic Software, SeeBeyond, PolarLake, Cape Clear, Fiorano Software, Iona and others claim that there is integration work needed to get IBM’s current WebSphere modules to work together to provide all of the features and functions of an ESB like theirs.
IBM’s web site states that, An enterprise service bus can optimize information distribution within an enterprise and beyond and may be built with integration middleware products available today from IBM.
