PLM Middleware

Build your business on a strong foundation with SOA
Flexible business processes built on an open and scalable PLM infrastructure can help you and your partners instantly adjust to volatile market dynamics and demand. Middleware can integrate your systems with those of your management, design partners, suppliers, dealers and service providers. Leverage openness, interoperability and strategic integration to help increase the effectiveness of your product development investment, and maximise the value and utilisation of your existing IT assets and infrastructure. IBM can help you implement open technologies and service-oriented architecture (SOA) to capitalise on the myriad of opportunities in today's marketplace.

IBM is committed to open industry standards that provide you with freedom of choice. Leading software providers and clients use our infrastructure to increase the stability and flexibility of their PLM solutions.

• IBM received Automotive Industry Action Group's (AIAG) Outstanding Achievement Award in 2005 for open standards leadership.
• IBM introduced IBM WebSphere® Application Server Community Edition, open source-based application server software and support built on J2EE™-certified Apache Geronimo application server.
• IBM has shown global patent leadership for 11 consecutive years, with over 25,000 U.S. patents earned-software patents accounted for over 40 percent of the patents awarded to IBM in 2003.
• IBM created the largest portfolio of software products running on Linux™, and we released Cloudscape™, a fully relational Java™ database as open source to the Apache Software Foundation.
• IBM submitted business process execution language (BPEL) capabilities to Oasis, a non-profit consortium that drives the development, convergence and adoption of e-business standards.
• IBM launched the Eclipse Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation, after releasing the Eclipse platform into open source.

IBM middleware is designed to allow your PLM solution to adapt as your business changes. We provide a security-rich, scalable infrastructure that allows you to build new business processes and leverage existing processes cost-effectively. In addition to leading PLM application software, IBM eServer™ systems and storage solutions, we provide leading middleware products, including:

• IBM WebSphere application infrastructure and integration.
• IBM DB2® and Tivoli® software for information and IT Services management.
• IBM Lotus® software for enterprise and value chain collaboration.
• IBM Rational® for software development and portfolio management.

New! ENOVIA and CAA v5r16 introduce Web services to simplify integration with additional enterprise systems using WebSphere software in an SOA approach. This extends the PLM enterprise integration capabilities already delivered with SMARTEAM Gateway's WebSphere Business Integration adapter. The result is PLM enterprise integration capabilities to help you innovate, decrease costs and increase flexibility, appropriate for small and large companies with simple to highly complex integration challenges.

New! Restricted use OEM license of DB2 v8.2 is included with ENOVIA and SMARTEAM. Tested scenarios validate SMARTEAM using DB2 on Linux, designed to be a security-rich, cost-effective operating system platform, well suited to sensitive data.