Celtix, the open source ESB, makes its official debut
Celtix, the open source enterprise service bus (ESB), reached a major milestone this past Monday with the release of version 1.0. ESBs are the middleware that enables and regulates the activities in a service-oriented architecture (SOA). While there is no single industrywide definition of the term, an SOA is most often described as a distributed computing architecture based on integrating service-enabled applications (services) and relying on core technologies like Web services and XML.
Many organizations are adopting SOA as the foundation of their IT infrastructure. It is a compelling concept because SOAs allow companies to integrate and reuse existing software assets, can be rolled out incrementally, are built upon open standards, and enable IT to more quickly respond with solutions that address changing market conditions and organizational needs.
An ESB is a critical SOA component. It enables the creation of composite applications -- applications consisting of multiple services with their own business logic. Most organizations have embraced the concept of SOA middleware, even if they are not sold on the ESB term. However, few have adopted a standard ESB platform; rather, they have invested in solutions on a project-by-project basis. Celtix will give companies no-cost access to ESB technology for experimentation as well as deployment.
While some ESB providers may argue that Artix, like solutions from other commercial ESB vendors, is simply a rebadged enterprise application integration (EAI) product, IONA does not expect Artix to be the end all solution for most ESB demands. Instead, IONA is pitching both Celtix and Artix, effectively rendering the "pure ESB versus EAI retread" argument irrelevant. The vendor hopes that these two software packages will provide an ESB path for all organizations.
As IONA sees it, the bulk of the market does not need the high-end reliability features and wide-ranging legacy integration capabilities that Artix delivers. Instead of leaving the lower end of the ESB market to other commercial or open source SOA middleware offerings, IONA decided to develop and promote its own low-end ESB that would appeal to IT responsible for departmental-level projects and those with limited budgets. IONA's goal, of course, is to create relationships that can deliver both service and support revenue from Celtix, but more importantly, a sales pipeline for Artix in cases where a Celtix user requires the reliability and capabilities of the high-end solution.
Commercial ESB providers, including smaller vendors like Sonic Software and Cape Clear Software, and massive vendors like IBM and Microsoft, will have to take into account the price pressure and market impact of Celtix. They will have to embrace Celtix or another open source ESB -- or offer their own similarly capable no-cost (for development and deployment) offering.
And while IONA still has a long way to go to move from its CORBA reputation and customer base to a leadership position in the broader SOA market, Celtix provides the vendor an opportunity and strategy to reinvent itself without tossing out its existing revenue-generating software portfolio.
Many organizations are adopting SOA as the foundation of their IT infrastructure. It is a compelling concept because SOAs allow companies to integrate and reuse existing software assets, can be rolled out incrementally, are built upon open standards, and enable IT to more quickly respond with solutions that address changing market conditions and organizational needs.
An ESB is a critical SOA component. It enables the creation of composite applications -- applications consisting of multiple services with their own business logic. Most organizations have embraced the concept of SOA middleware, even if they are not sold on the ESB term. However, few have adopted a standard ESB platform; rather, they have invested in solutions on a project-by-project basis. Celtix will give companies no-cost access to ESB technology for experimentation as well as deployment.
Celtix and the IONA angle
While Celtix is not the only open source ESB effort, its uniqueness lies in its close relationship with IONA Technologies. In the distributed computing world, particularly among veteran IT personnel who built standards-based solutions in the 1990s, IONA is known for its CORBA offerings. Recently, it has been pitching Artix, its own version of an ESB, designed to primarily enable integration of existing applications.While some ESB providers may argue that Artix, like solutions from other commercial ESB vendors, is simply a rebadged enterprise application integration (EAI) product, IONA does not expect Artix to be the end all solution for most ESB demands. Instead, IONA is pitching both Celtix and Artix, effectively rendering the "pure ESB versus EAI retread" argument irrelevant. The vendor hopes that these two software packages will provide an ESB path for all organizations.
As IONA sees it, the bulk of the market does not need the high-end reliability features and wide-ranging legacy integration capabilities that Artix delivers. Instead of leaving the lower end of the ESB market to other commercial or open source SOA middleware offerings, IONA decided to develop and promote its own low-end ESB that would appeal to IT responsible for departmental-level projects and those with limited budgets. IONA's goal, of course, is to create relationships that can deliver both service and support revenue from Celtix, but more importantly, a sales pipeline for Artix in cases where a Celtix user requires the reliability and capabilities of the high-end solution.
Pressure on commercial ESB providers
Celtix is only at version 1.0. Like all open source apps, Celtix will only become the de facto standard if it can be a high-quality product that meets its users' needs. If it succeeds technically and in the market, developers -- both independent and also those from user and vendor organizations -- will increasingly invest resources in improving its capabilities (for those worried about using or contributing code to the project, Celtix is governed by the LGPL and EPL licenses).Commercial ESB providers, including smaller vendors like Sonic Software and Cape Clear Software, and massive vendors like IBM and Microsoft, will have to take into account the price pressure and market impact of Celtix. They will have to embrace Celtix or another open source ESB -- or offer their own similarly capable no-cost (for development and deployment) offering.
And while IONA still has a long way to go to move from its CORBA reputation and customer base to a leadership position in the broader SOA market, Celtix provides the vendor an opportunity and strategy to reinvent itself without tossing out its existing revenue-generating software portfolio.