Blogging Roller

InternetWeek: IBM Preps DB2-Based Integration Software, New Dev Tools. Here are a couple of excerpts:

The new RAD tool is a model-driven development approach for developers unfamiliar with J2EE. One solution provider said the tool potentially could compete with WebSphere Studio, but Schurr said it is aimed at developers without Java expertise and is not specifically intended for skilled J2EE developers, which are the target customers for WebSphere Studio.

Man, that sounds like a tough problem: bringing model-driven architecture to novice J2EE developers without Java experience. Hows does that work? Don't you have to write some code at some point?

The new tools tend to confirm what every Microsoft-centric development shop that uses Rational fears: New and improved products will be Java-centric/exclusive and will first be available for WebSphere, then maybe available for Visual Studio .Net

That's why Microsoft and IBM battled it out for Rational. What is the upgrade path for those customers now? Does Microsoft do UML anymore? I can't seem to find any recent info on UML or MS Visual Modeler on their site.