A Web-Services Boom?A Web-Services Boom?

BEA Systems Inc.'s AquaLogic middleware, unveiled last week, aims to provide a highly automated environment for creating service-oriented architectures that link applications within and between businesses using Web-services standards.

CEO Alfred Chuang predicted the software will be welcomed by large companies, given how quickly they're implementing Web services. "I thought we'd see gradual adoption, [but] companies are realizing tremendous business value from Web services and are embracing the technology," Chuang says.

AquaLogic includes a messaging environment, using an the AquaLogic Service Bus to handle data transformation and routing between Web services. The AquaLogic Data Services Platform exposes data as a service and lets users conduct federated queries. AquaLogic Enterprise Security lets users add features such as authentication and certification schemes to the services they've created.

Chuang believes AquaLogic will succeed, in part, because BEA focuses exclusively on integration technologies. Says Chuang, "Nobody wants to buy everything from one vendor; mixed environments are here to stay."