Kenamea delves further into Web services
The software maker enters the market for composite applications, releasing a set of the Web services tools aimed at helping people pull new functionality out of enterprise software.
Known primarily as a vendor of messaging software, Kenamea introduced its Composite Application Suite version 3.0, which aims to give businesses greater ability to increase interoperability between applications. Composite applications are a form of Web services software built from pieces of other enterprise systems to provide information about those systems or create new functionality.
Kenamea says the Composite Applications Suite "encapsulates the three core elements of modern application design," which it defines as service-oriented architecture, asynchronous event-driven design, and component-based development.
"Business owners need applications that give employees, partners, and customers a complete real-time view of business processes and allow them to accurately and collaboratively respond to events as they occur," Kenamea CEO Tom Lounibos said in a statement.
Lounibos believes the Kenamea suite is the first set of composite software tools to deliver this kind of functionality using any Web browsing software, and without demanding any custom coding.
The suite is made up of three primary elements: Application Builder, an environment for pulling together application components; Component Builder, designed to let developers wrap existing applications, data and Web services into interactive components within composite applications; and Notification Server, a runtime environment using interactive networks for composite applications.
Kenamea representatives believe the Composite Applications Suite offers a range of potential benefits including the ability to integrate information and control components from multiple data systems, applications and Web services by way of a single interface. The applications can be made available on any sort of computing device and rarely fall prey to issues such as network errors or unavailability, according to the company.
Analysts said Kenamea may have found a good way to broaden its customer base with the composite applications release. ZapThink analyst Ron Schmelzer said that the software company can connect with more businesspeople and potentially more customers, based on the package.
"Kenamea realized that messaging wasn't going to be enough, as it is such a competitive market and the appeal is mostly to developers," Schmelzer said. "The composite applications business should give Kenamea the ability to connect with business users looking for tools that don't require the same levels of development knowledge; messaging with Web services is a nice combination."
However, Schmelzer acknowledged that while the market for composite applications remains in its nascent stages, there will likely be a number of companies attempting to establish a foothold in the niche area, including heavyweights such as BEA Systems, IBM and Sybase.
"I think it's a good strategy for Kenamea, but they're not alone," he said.