Oracle opens door to enterprise Web 2.0 applications

Oracle has unveiled its new WebCentre Suite, which the firm claims is the first set of enterprise grade Web 2.0 development tools.

The set of middleware tools promises to break down the barriers between data that is stored in Web-based portals, enterprise applications and interactive online applications that are grouped under the Web 2.0 moniker.

"Today enterprise portals provide you a way to aggregate information into a common dashboard, but the amount of interactivity that you get with enterprise portals is very limited," Oracle's senior vice president of development for middleware Thomas Kurian said in a keynote presentation at the Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco.

The tools were inspired by blogs, wikis, RSS feeds and other Web 2.0 technologies such as the Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (Ajax) programming platform that is used to build Internet applications like Digg and Flickr.

The combination of the enterprise data and interactive online applications will let enterprises craft new applications that combine data from several enterprise applications such as customer relationship management, enterprise resource management and human resource management tools.

"WebCentre provides you with a way to build very sophisticated Web 2.0 user interaction environments," claimed Kurian. 

Using open Web standards, WebCentre promises to support both PC browsers as well as mobile devices, Internet telephony services and Microsoft Exchange and Office products.

The new Oracle suite is based on the company's Java based Webcentre Framework and a Services component that offers search and VoIP messaging services. The company is furthermore offering an Anywhere component that delivers integration with mobile devices as well as Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Office.

Oracle's WebCentre offers developers new Studio and Composer tools. The first exposes the necessary service to developers and the second allows them to build application user interfaces based on Ajax technology.

The new suite will be available as on option for the company's Application Server Enterprise Edition at a price of US$50,000 per CPU. It is scheduled for availability later this year.

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