What is WBI?

[clk430]

Instead of upgrading to 8.0, the consultants are saying we need to upgrade to WBI? Boca?

 

[BocaBurger]

WebSphere Business Integrator. DS TX is better. Is there a WBI forum here? Look at the number of posts in the various forums. It will give you a clue as to what is actual being used in the world.



BocaBurger
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The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword hurts more!

 

[zSoftware]

I must comment on this one

One, of most likely a few business case reasons that IBM
purchased Ascential, which in turn purchased Mercator Software in 2003 was that they (IBM) wanted to widen their
product offerings and Mercator was one of the best in the business at ETL/EAI. WBI was IBM's initial offering(s) to compete with Ascential/Mercator (earlier this present decade, so far as my memory serves me correctly or incorrectly

I agree with Boca - DataStage TX is better :-, but it is ALL IBM now

zSoftware

 

[BocaBurger]

And with 8.0, it's better than anything that was available in 2003.



BocaBurger
<===========================||////////////////|0
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword hurts more!

 

[clk430]

Ammuntion for the consultants.

They are saying that IBM bought Ascential so they can phase them out and push their WBI. Is this true? What do you guys think is the future for DataStage TX 8.0/.1?

 

[zSoftware]

Boca is a a much better position to answer that than I.

zSoftware

 

[SeriesConsumer]

Is there a WBI forum here? Look at the number of posts in the various forums. It will give you a clue as to what is actual being used in the world.

I don't agree with you -- the number of (postings in) forums isn't a good means of estimating the quality of a product. Typically forums aren't filled with praises for a product but rather with problem descriptions and seek for help. On the other hand you can look up news groups (by far the biggest "forums") and will find out that there is no DSTX news group at all but trillions for any (esoteric) computer language.

By the way, which other forums for DSTX despite tek-tips exist? I only knew eaiusergroup which seem to have been abandoned.

 

[janhes]

http://www.dxchange.com

Ascential developer net -

http://developernet.ascential.com

 

[janhes]

Sorry

http://www.dsxchange.com

 

[BocaBurger]

Unfortunately, internal future IBM plans can't be divuldged, here. You might want to contact IBM officially.

If the product is not used, then no one would ever find a problem



BocaBurger
<===========================||////////////////|0
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword hurts more!

 

[clk430]

SeriesConsumer - have you used both IBM products? What are your thoughts on which one offers more for the consumer in terms of EDI solutions?

 

[SeriesConsumer]

clk430, I have never used WBI, nor have I been working with EDI solutions. At least to me, IBM's current strategy is not clear at all, having bought now a bunch of integration solutions -- just branding them under the WebSphere Label is no real unification of them! Maybe DSTX is the best of them (as said, I don't know the others...), maybe not. Anyway, asking two different IBM consultants which product to chose for the future will get you two different answers. Or three ;-)

 

[BocaBurger]

IBM is working on fixing that (multiple answers).

FYI, DS TX was created for EDI. IMHO, it is still the #1 EDI product available, for the medium to enterprise level applications. It is also very big in the SAP integration market, logistics, supply chain, insurance, banking, and some gov't stuff.




BocaBurger
<===========================||////////////////|0
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword hurts more!

 

[clk430]

Boca, I like your opinions.

What are you honest thoughts on the future of DataSatage TX now in the hands of IBM? What other IBM tool, in your humble opinion, offers comparible EDI soultions as DS TX?

 

[BocaBurger]

I wish I could answer that. I'm not worried about my job.



BocaBurger
<===========================||////////////////|0
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword hurts more!

 

[clk430]

Ok, let me come at you at another angle then.

IF, and only IF, IBM plans to streamline their integration products and pahse out DS TX, will the change be tolerable (upgrade, transition wise) for current DS TX customers?

 

[janhes]

Who says IBM are going to phase out DSTX?

 

[clk430]

Speculation on the internet. An our consultants "internal IBM contacts." Eitherway, my research is validating what you guys said above - DS TX is far better, more robust than WBI.

 

[BocaBurger]

You would have to ask your salesperson. Let them know how you feel about the product. Your input would be important.





BocaBurger
<===========================||////////////////|0
The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword hurts more!

 

[clk430]

From somebody regarding my questions:
- WBI, and its components, do not offer a solution comparable to DataStage TX with EDI transformation or to DataStage TX Commerce Manager (Trading Manager) with EDI. IBM offers a product called WebSphere Partner Gateway (WPG) which has some EDI gateway and transformation functionality. However WPG is not up to the capability of TX with EDI and we are actively combining WPG and TX strengths. WPG is a great product for XML, RossettaNet, ebXML, etc.

- TX has a strong roadmap. In Q3 of this year we are planning to release version 8.1 which adds functionality such as greater codepage support, remote debugger, profiler over run maps, user defined functions and enhancements to the user interface. We are in the process of defining the following version of TX and it will be exciting. We do not have a public list of functionality yet. our vision is to continue to define TX as the best-in-class universal transformer for use anywhere enterprise - embedded within WebSphere, stand-alone, embedded in applications via C/Java/EJBs/SOA and as an powerful transformation alternative inside competitors integration platforms.

Just thought I'd share what I found.