NOW AVAILABLE: IBM Rational Architecture Management and Construction solutions v7.5

IBM has released the next version of their software development platform. These are based on Eclipse 3.4 and include the new WebSphere Application Server 7.0 with full Java EE 5.0 support. This includes EJB 3.0 support, JPA support, and the newest web services extensions.
http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?subtype=ca&infotype=an&appname=iSource&supplier=897&letternum=ENUS208-305#h2-chargex

Starting pricing levels are as follows:
Rational Software Architect for WebSphere Software: $5,840.00
Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software: $4,240.00

These are the top two most common products sold, and there are various packages available. If you are already under software maintenance with IBM, this should be a direct upgrade as part of the package. Keep in mind however, you should be wary of upgrading your platform if you are in the middle of an existing project. Upgrade your entire team at the same time, but spend a few weeks reviewing your source code in the new editors first so you know what to expect. These products did undergo an extensive beta test and most of the bugs should have been fleshed out. As always, there will be patches in the near term, but I would not be terribly concerned. If you are starting a new project, then this is the perfect opportunity to upgrade. The new editor features of Eclipse 3.4 are certainly worth it, and having the new API features to work with give you lots of new options for designing a robust architecture.

If you are interested in a quote or details of these products, please contact me and I’ll be happy to help.