SEATTLE, February 27, 2007 – Furthering its support for service oriented architecture (SOA)-based mainframe integration, Attachmate Corporation today announced the worldwide availability of Verastream Host Integrator 6.5, its industry-leading solution for access to mainframe data and logic. Enhanced flexibility for the generation of new web-based user interfaces, as well as support for the latest 64-bit hardware and software platforms, strengthen the comprehensive Verastream suite of mainframe-, desktop- and web-based integration offerings, and provide customers with a faster, easier and more secure way to maximize the value of their mainframe assets as they adopt an SOA.
A low-risk, low-cost approach to legacy-to-SOA integration, Verastream Host Integrator transforms the full range of legacy applications into SOA assets by exposing business processes as web services, XML, Java, and .NET components that can be mixed, matched, and reused. No changes to mainframe-application code are required. By allowing companies to leverage their existing development skills, familiar IT tools and proven mainframe investments, Verastream not only allows companies to move into the SOA business era faster, driving business productivity and lower IT costs, it also allows companies to access mainframe data and logic from PCs and a variety of mobile and handheld devices.
“Verastream helps customers take full advantage of their legacy assets as they move to embrace new technology platforms, such as service-enablement for SOA and remote, mobile access to business critical information,” said Eric Varness, vice president of marketing at Attachmate. “For this reason we have added support for many new platforms, including Microsoft Vista, as well as 64-bit hardware and software platforms. Additionally, Verastream provides support for the latest Java application infrastructure standards and accommodates the most preferred and secure methods of interacting with J2EE applications.”
Security
Recognizing that mainframes, iSeries (AS/400) and other host systems often contain some of the most business-critical and confidential company data, the latest version of Verastream Host Integrator secures end-to-end communication through encrypted communications between the client and mainframe. In addition to leveraging user security settings on local runtime servers or using Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), SSL public key cryptography ensures the protection of data passed between client web applications and the Verastream runtime server.
Flexibility/Ease of Use
Verastream Host Integrator further streamlines the cumbersome interaction with traditional host applications’ interfaces by providing both developers and non-developers with complete control over the customization and automatic generation of new web-based user interfaces. Verastream Host Integrator also simplifies the building of large applications by offering a simple method for controlling the look and feel of dynamic content, while accommodating the extended capabilities of advanced web sites.
Whether working within an IBM Mainframe, IBM iSeries (AS/400), Unix, HP OpenVMS or HP e3000 environment, Verastream Host Integrator enables the full range of mainframe-based legacy applications to participate in SOAs. Attachmate customers Avis France, Balboa Insurance Group, Bankhaus Neelmeyer, Canal+, Cooper Booth Wholesale, Credit Agricole, First American Default Technologies, PPG’s LYNX Services and NEC America, among others, have all selected Attachmate Verastream as their SOA-based host integration platform of choice. For example, Cooper Booth Wholesale, one of the nation’s top 25 leading convenience-store wholesale distributors, is using Verastream Host Integrator to extend its UNIX legacy assets for use in a new web-based customer system.
“Instead of having to rewrite an interface and go out to the web with it, Verastream simply lets us select and web-enable the functionality we need from our order system,” said Becky Rhoads, IT manager for Cooper Booth Wholesale. “I also like Verastream’s versatility in terms of putting services on the Web using .NET or JavaBeans, because we typically outsource our Web development.”
Platform Support
Verastream offers the unique ability to run on both middle tier platforms such as Microsoft Windows 2003, UNIX and Linux, as well as directly on the mainframe. With enhanced platform support, including AIX and Linux support for the IBM mainframe, this latest version provides ultimate flexibility around deployment and architecture options by allowing customers to leverage the security, performance and scalability the mainframe platform is known for.
As the standard continues to shift to 64-bit hardware, Verastream Host Integrator 6.5 allows developers to leverage the latest hardware advancements with added support for 64-bit Microsoft Windows, UNIX and Linux platforms. As 64-bit hardware becomes the standard, Verastream is ready to leverage these hardware advancements.
To learn more about Verastream Host Integrator 6.5, or to download an evaluation copy of the new solution, please visit /NR/exeres/180C362A-880C-46FF-8E12-BB15ABE988DA.htm?NRMODE=Unpublished&wbc_purpose=Basic&WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished.
About Verastream
Verastream Host Integrator is part of the Verastream legacy integration suite, a complete range of mainframe, web and desktop modernization tools built to speed the reuse of legacy application investments. Verastream delivers the full spectrum of basic rejuvenation to customized presentation and sophisticated high-performance integration. Verastream-generated services can be mixed, matched and reused to extend legacy functionality to new applications or users. No code changes to legacy applications are required.
Attachmate Verastream software works collaboratively or as a stand-alone tool along with the company’s integration, legacy access, security and management products, enabling companies to extend the use of existing IT investments while adopting valuable new technologies to improve their businesses.
About Attachmate
Attachmate, owned by an investment group led by Francisco Partners, Golden Gate Capital and Thoma Cressey Equity Partners, enables IT organizations to extend mission critical services and assures they are managed, secure and compliant. Attachmate’s leading solutions include host connectivity, systems and security management, and PC lifecycle management. Our goal is to empower IT organizations to deliver trusted applications, manage service levels, and ensure compliance by leveraging knowledge, automation and secured connectivity. For more information, visit www.attachmate.com.