IBM touted to release SOA tool for resellers
Big Blue set for SOA release at Partnerworld Conference this week
IBM is likely to release a Service-Orientated Architecture (SOA) analytics tool at its annual Las Vegas PartnerWorld conference this week, CRN has learned.
Big Blue has designed the Rapid Value Analyst Tool to provide its channel partners with another reason to talk to end-users about SOAs. It will also enable end-users to ascertain how long an SOA project will take, together with its expected return-on-investment (ROI) time, sources said.
Matthew Leighton, head of WebSphere at IBM VAR Triangle, said that IBM’s new tool will give partners a new reason to push SOAs.
“With SOAs it’s about marrying business processes with technology. We may be able to prove specific ROI to each business on an SOA sale, and it sounds like a potentially helpful tool,” he said.
“We are getting very positive feedback about SOAs. This will give it the potential to go further.”
Sat Bains, managing director of IBM partner Serco Learning, agreed that the tool is a step in the right direction. “It sounds like a good tool, so if we as suppliers can answer end-user questions on implementation times, more easily and faster, all the better,” he said.
However, Bains stressed that it may not encourage more SOA sales. “It wouldn’t necessarily make us use SOA. But those that do use it would be able to gain more confidence from it, have a greater clarity of discussions and make the sales process more visible,” he added.
Separately, IBM announced last week that it has tightened its relationship with vendor Cognos to pursue joint development, marketing and sales of SOAs more closely.
IBM declined to comment on the release of the tool.