NEON Systems' Brings Web Services Directly to the Mainframe with the Launch of Shadow z/Services

Business Wire, Sept 20, 2004

SUGAR LAND, Texas -- Single-step Configuration Eliminates Programming -- Accelerates Web Services Development -- Lowers Total Cost of Ownership

NEON(R) Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:NEON), a leader in enterprise-class mainframe integration, today announced the availability of Shadow z/Services, SOAP-based mainframe integration solution that allows organizations to rapidly transform CICS, IMS, and Advantage CA-IDMS applications into Web services. Increasingly organizations are turning to a modern Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) as a foundation for re-purposing mainframe investments within new composite application development.

Shadow z/Services' easy-to-use, single-step configuration can accelerate the development of mainframe Web services by eliminating the additional programming typically required with competing mainframe Web services products. Shadow z/Services' Studio interface eliminates the complexity of creating and implementing mainframe-based Web services, allowing Java and .NET developers to use existing skills and tools, increasing productivity and accelerating the ability to re-use mainframe resources in support of new business requirements.

"Organizations pursuing application strategies that include the mainframe platform should consider a services-oriented architecture for integration with new more modern platforms," said Dale Vecchio, research director, Gartner Research. "The realities of today's economic conditions and the failures of massive migrations to new platforms are causing companies to leverage their existing install base -- SOA is seen as a great way to do it."

Holland America Lines, a provider of luxury and exotic cruises, deployed Shadow z/Services as an interface to their Voice Response System, which allows customers to call in and check their reservation information. "The use of NEON's Shadow z/Services gave us a very convenient and straightforward way to re-use existing mainframe application code in order to provide a higher level of service to our customers," Jerry Fica, Project Lead DBA, Holland America Lines.

"With the accelerated adoption of Web services, organizations with significant investments in mainframe technology now have a real opportunity to use the resources of the mainframe to drive new business value," said Mark Cresswell, president and CEO, NEON Systems. "NEON's new Shadow z/Services delivers an industry-leading mainframe Web services solution for organizations that need to respond quickly and cost effectively in order to meet changing business requirements. This product enables the mainframe to participate more rapidly and cost-effectively in composite application development."

Web Services Support for Business Logic and Screens

Shadow z/Services allows developers to easily expose mainframe application logic and application presentation environments as Web services. Utilizing the product's Introspection technology, developers are able to dynamically parse the application program and screen definitions and generate the Web Services Description Language (WSDL). Additionally, for screen-based applications, Shadow z/Services allows developers to orchestrate a logical flow between multiple screens to support a business process. The resulting microflow can be published as a SOAP-based Web service. To improve response times to the Web services consumer, the microflow executes from within the Shadow z/Services Address Space thereby eliminating the network latency typically associated with screen navigation solutions.

External Mainframe Web Services Support

In order to support a comprehensive Services Oriented Architecture approach, organizations need support that allows the mainframe to participate equally as both a Web services provider and Web services consumer. Shadow z/Services' Web services client component enables mainframe application developers to invoke external Web services from CICS/TS, Advantage CA-IDMS, and Batch. The mainframe application developer does not need any familiarity with SOAP or WSDL and can continue to operate within a traditional application development framework with one key difference -- the easy availability of external Web services functionality.

Industry Support for Shadow z/Services

"Customers need solutions that reduce the cost and complexity of integration, particularly when it involves building composite applications that include mainframe resources. Using NEON's Shadow z/Services in combination with WebLogic Platform 8.1 allows organizations to leverage existing IT assets within Service Oriented Architectures in order to accelerate services delivery and increase business responsiveness," said Bobby Napiltonia, vice president and general manager, worldwide channels and alliances, BEA Systems.

"Web Services and Service-Oriented Architecture are offering a faster and simpler approach to application and data integration," according to David Clarke, senior vice president of Products at Cape Clear Software. "NEON Systems' Shadow z/Services is enabling organizations to extend their mainframe applications as standards-based services which can be quickly integrated with other internal and external services via an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). Once integrated, those mainframe applications can then be combined with other IT assets to deliver new services inside the organization and out across the Internet to customers and trading partners. Cape Clear is working with NEON Systems to provide full ESB support for Shadow z/Services."