VisualAge Smalltalk Transition Strategy and Roadmap
After 12 years of success in the marketplace, VisualAge Smalltalk Enterprise (5724-B83) will reach end of service status on April 30, 2006. The VisualAge Smalltalk Transition Strategy and Roadmap have been put in place to provide guidance and support to existing VisualAge Smalltalk customers in light of this official announcement.
Announcement Highlights
- End of service driven by marketplace directions, customer IT investment patterns and the IBM portfolio strategy
- Customers have several options to protect their investment in VisualAge Smalltalk
- IBM has formulated a strategy and roadmap to facilitate transition
- IBM and business partner resources, tools, methodologies available to aid transition
- Support extensions available to bridge customers' critical VisualAge Smalltalk applications
- IBM product portfolio provides rich set of follow-on and replacement technologies
Emerging technologies, architecture trends and standards in the IT marketplace are driving the evolution of the IBM application development tool and runtime product portfolio. The VisualAge Smalltalk Transition Strategy and Roadmap is designed to help customers preserve and build on their VisualAge Smalltalk assets by establishing bridges to the world of On Demand Operating Environments (ODOE). The strategy and roadmap outlines options, alternative approaches and services that offer an evolutionary path from VisualAge Smalltalk to robust service oriented architectures, the benefits of model-driven design, and more effective business performance management.
VisualAge Smalltalk customers can discover and leverage the value of industry standards, i.e., the Java programming language, the J2EE™ application model, the Eclipse-based open-source application development tool framework as well as the full suite of capabilities in the IBM Rational®, WebSphere® and Lotus® tool and runtime portfolios in a form and at a rate and pace that suits their organization's technical and business requirements.
The VisualAge Smalltalk Transition Strategy and Roadmap helps customers:
- Plan and navigate successful transition projects by analyzing, modernizing and evolving
- VisualAge Smalltalk assets as part of a customer's overall business transformation strategy.
- Reduce labor time, costs and risk in modernizing Smalltalk applications by systematically applying transition analysis, automation and management tools, technologies and methodologies.
- Leverage the features of the On Demand Operating Environment (Service Oriented Architecture, Model-Driven Design, Business Performance Management) to accelerate business transformation as VisualAge Smalltalk applications are evolved.
- Explore trade-offs and benefits of various transition target environments and architectures.
- Explore ODOE-enabling tools and capabilities in the Rational, WebSphere and Lotus product portfolios.
The strategy features 3 options: Accelerated Transformation, Staged Transformation and Support Extension.
Accelerated Transformation
This option is targeted to customers wishing to transition their VisualAge Smalltalk assets to Java™/J2EE, open-source, service-oriented architectures and ODOE in the near- to mid-term.
The Accelerated Transformation option is centered on a robust and comprehensive set of solution offerings composed of roadmaps, migration automation tools, methodologies, application assessment, analysis, portfolio review services, and transition expertise for migrating from VisualAge Smalltalk to follow-on and replacement IBM products and technologies. The Accelerated Transformation will be offered by IBM’s business partners Synchrony Systems, CSC Consulting and by IBM Global Services Business Consulting Services organization.
Staged Transformation
This option is targeted to customers anticipating a much longer transition trajectory and who need to continue exploiting Smalltalk technology - as a transition platform - including enhancements, extended function and migration-readiness capabilities. VisualAge Smalltalk applications may continue to be developed and operated by some customers for an extended period during transition, however, and IBM recognizes the need for continuing product support.
The Staged Transformation option is manifested as a set of products and technologies that will be produced, marketed, delivered and supported by IBM's business partner, Instantiations, Inc. Instantiations is a licensed solution provider of the VisualAge Smalltalk Enterprise V6 technology. The Staged Transformation option offers customers bridging technologies for VisualAge Smalltalk to facilitate a smooth transition, through a longer trajectory, for customers' strategic application development tool and runtime platforms.
VisualAge Smalltalk Enterprise V6 Support Extension
This option is targeted to all customers requiring continuing support of operational VisualAge Smalltalk systems beyond the end of service date of April 30, 2006. It is most appropriate for those VisualAge Smalltalk applications that will reach their end of life in the foreseeable future.
The VisualAge Smalltalk Support Extension (SE) offering provides a mechanism for securing access to technical support for an extended period beyond the April 30, 2006 end of service date. The Support Extension option is a fee-based offering sponsored by the IBM Global Services Integrated Technology Services (ITS) organization and delivered in accordance with the IBM standard Support Extension policies and procedures.
Contacts
Customers should contact their IBM client representative or Software Sales Representative for more information. Contact IBM Global Services ITS at 1-888-426-4343, Option 3, to obtain a Support Extension quote.
