IBM Toolkit to Integrate PHP Into Service Oriented Architectures

CGIDir
Friday, June 16, 2006; 06:35 AM

At the IBM SOA Executive Summit here attended by hundreds of clients, IBM announced a way for customers to use PHP technology to develop and execute applications in a service oriented architecture (SOA) using IBM's open source-based application server, WebSphere Application Server (WAS) Community Edition.

IBM's new PHP Integration Kit for WAS Community Edition will enable programmers to leverage the advantages of both PHP and Java, providing greater flexibility in deploying dynamic applications, building web front-ends and creating development projects within organizations. The PHP Integration Kit will be available for download later this month on alphaWorks, IBM's web resource for emerging technologies.

PHP, a popular, open source programming language that converts computer code into dynamic Web pages that users can interact with, is a key Web 2.0 technology that complements Java. By making it easier to incorporate industry-standard Web 2.0 technologies such as PHP into SOA environments, customers can better align their IT systems to support specific business goals. For example, a corporate developer could use the PHP Integration Kit to create a web site for employees that dynamically updates corporate information from a variety of worldwide applications that are united by an SOA solution.

"Businesses are quickly realizing that Web 2.0 technologies like PHP are key enablers of a service oriented architecture," said Jerry Cuomo, chief technology officer, IBM WebSphere Software. "With today's announcement, we're continuing our progress in helping customers and partners leverage the simplicity of PHP in building applications that support their SOA environments."

IBM WebSphere Application Server Community Edition, based on IBM's May 2005 acquisition of Gluecode, Inc., is a lightweight J2EE application server available free of charge. Built on Apache Geronimo technology, it harnesses the latest innovations from the open-source community to deliver a flexible foundation for developing and deploying Java applications. Technical support is offered through an annual subscription.

IBM also offers additional technology that enables customers to develop and deploy PHP-based applications on selected IBM hardware.

Developers can download the PHP Integration Kit for WAS CE via IBM alphaWorks at www.alphaworks.ibm.com. WebSphere Application Server Community Edition can be downloaded free of charge from www.ibm.com/websphere/wasce.

alphaWorks gives developers, innovators, and business decision makers the opportunity to evaluate and influence technology in the earliest phases of development.