Tokyo, January 29, 2001--- On January 18, 2001 Fujitsu Limited and Microsoft Co., Ltd. succeeded in making the world's first connection of application server software platforms using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)*1, an XML*2-based communications protocol for information exchange in distributed computing environments. The two companies successfully linked Fujitsu's INTERSTAGE software platform with Microsoft's .NET platform. At the same time, the companies successfully achieved systems connection using UDDI*3, an XML-based directory standard for e-marketplaces*4.
The number of Internet-based business-to-business transactions has been increasing dramatically in recent years, and the move beyond mere account settlement to the creation of e-marketplaces covering procurement, marketing and distribution is sparking a revolution in business activity. However, because up to now there has been no efficient way of connecting and integrating different corporate systems comprising hardware and software from multiple vendors, companies embarking on new business processes have been forced to invest in costly systems development work in order to handle differences in applications among these corporate systems.
Now, thanks to the successful connection of the INTERSTAGE and .NET platforms using SOAP and UDDI, it will be far easier to construct new inter-company business processes in e-marketplaces comprising different hardware and software, regardless of differences in applications. This innovation will allow rapid construction of optimal business-to-business systems for the exciting Internet market that dynamically link and integrate multiple corporate systems.
Fujitsu's INTERSTAGE has been one of Japan's best selling application server software platforms, racking up total sales of 4,000 servers as of November 2000. Along with excellent performance and reliability, it has received high marks for proactively embracing global business standards, receiving the world's first CORBA*5 authorization and adopting the newest Java specifications at an early date. It has won users in a variety of fields, especially business-to-business transaction systems.
Amidst continued advances in technology for Internet-based corporate information systems, especially in regard to the expansion of e-marketplaces, Fujitsu's INTERSTAGE will continue to set the pace in responding to the diverse and demanding needs of its customers. The company plans to offer a new version of INTERSTAGE incorporating the functions described above during the 3rd quarter of 2001.
"Microsoft is delighted with the success of Fujitsu's SOAP connection experiment. It has confirmed the feasibility of the concept of .NET and Web service linking many kinds of systems, said Takahiko Higashi, Board Director, Marketing Services for Microsoft Co., Ltd. "In cooperation with Fujitsu, Microsoft will promote Web service and work toward realizing the .NET concept: namely, highly interconnective and scalable solutions at low cost. We anticipate that thanks to the linkage between the .NET platform and INTERSTAGE, which is the key to these activities, we will be able to accelerate the expansion of Microsoft's enterprise market."
Fujitsu's INTERSTAGE Web site: http://www.interstage.com/
Terminology
- *1 SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol):
- Communications protocol for exchanging XML-based information in a distributed network environment.
- *2 XML (eXtensible Markup Language):
- A specification designed especially for Web documents that allows designers to create their own customized tags, enabling the definiton, transmission, validation, and interpretation of data between applications and between organizations.
- *3 UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration):
- A directory for obtaining XML-based corporate information (name of company, products offered, target market, etc.) in e-marketplaces.
- *4 e-marketplace:
- General term for Internet-based electronic commerce markets used in business-to-business transactions.
- *5 CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture):
- Specification for distributed object technology. It establishes specifications for ORB, software for exchanging messages between objects (program components) in distributed environments comprising diverse products.
* All company/product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are used for identification purposes only.
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) is a leading provider of Internet- based information technology solutions for the global marketplace. Comprising over 500 group companies and affiliates worldwide -- including ICL, Amdahl and DMR Consulting -- it had consolidated revenues of 5.26 trillion yen ($49.6 billion) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000. Fujitsu's pace-setting technologies, world-class computing and telecommunications platforms, and global corps of over 60,000 systems and services experts make it uniquely positioned to unleash the infinite possibilities of the Internet to help its customers succeed. Altogether, the Fujitsu Group has 188,000 employees and operations in over 100 countries.
Internet: http://www.fujitsu.com/