For developers seeking to run enterprise Java applications on the CRM cloud computing provider Salesforce.com cloud, VMforce will now make that possible, according to an InfoWorld report. Leveraging the Salesforce.com (News - Alert) Force.com cloud, VMware virtualization and VMware's SpringSource wares for Java application development and deployment, VMforce enables a focused concentration on innovation.
"The whole idea is you have these 6 million Java developers, and they want an enterprise-class cloud to deploy their applications on," said Eric Stahl, Salesforce.com senior director of product marketing, in InfoWorld. He added that Force.com now processes 250 million transactions per day with no fixed upper limit.
Both VMware and Salesforce.com anticipate VMforce will see deployments of applications including enterprise transactional and Web commerce applications. Without hardware or software infrastructure issues to worry about, developers can focus clearly on the task at hand.
According to analyst Jeff Kaplan, managing director of Thinkstrategies, the Java cloud capabilities address concerns raised in the past by developers that Force.com is too proprietary. "By linking with the VMware folks and now being able to interoperate more [effectively] with the Java environment, that helps to alleviate some of those concerns," Kaplan said.
Developers will gain access to a preview of VMforce in the second half of 2010, while general availability anticipated either later this year or in 2011. To drive enterprise application development, VMforce will be deployed on top of Force.com and use Spring Framework.
VMware's Apache Tomcat-based application server, SpringSource tc Server runtime, optimized for virtual and cloud environments, will run VMforce applications. The vCloud virtualization from VMware will manage the Java stack and on-ramping applications onto the cloud. The VMware vShpere layer and application runtime layer will be managed by the VMware vCloud App Core.
Developers can also deploy applications based on Java technologies, such as Plain Old Java Objects, JavaServer Pages and Java Servlets. Other components within the platform include Force.com Chatter services for collaboration, and pre-built Force.com services for search, identity, security, workflow, Web services, and mobile deployment.
The VMforce is being positioned by Salesforce.com as part of the company's "Cloud 2" concept, which includes enabling enterprise applications to expand on capabilities similar to popular social networks, such as viewing user profiles and pictures.
While Google (News - Alert) has enabled Java development on its Google App Engine platform, Stahl noted that VMforce is targeted more to enterprise applications than Google.
VMware partnered with Salesforce.com to produce a new cloud-computing product. Both the companies did not elaborate or disclose the details of the partnership agreement. However, the chief executives of the companies are expected to make a joint product announcement "on the future of cloud computing" on April 27.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by Kelly McGuire