Stories about: Vignette

When last surveying open source Web CMSes (content management systems) I provided some common-sense advice. For example, it's important to look for not just functionality but also frequent updates, a healthy user community, and the availability of professional support. Some points are still true today, but new offerings may get you rethinking the role of these products in your enterprise.

I've had an opportunity recently to witness two tech CEOs perform for a gathering of financial analysts: Mark Hurd of HP and Jonathan Schwartz of Sun. The contrast in management styles and vision couldn't be more striking -- a contrast made more poignant when one considers that both companies slug it out daily on the floor tiles of practically every data center in the U.S.

SpikeSource, the open-source services company, has launched itself in Europe, offering customers a range of software applications.

Alfresco Software is readying the final piece of its open-source enterprise content management (ECM) software suite with the unveiling of a preview of its Web content management product.

The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards on Tuesday agreed to form a committee to investigate crafting a Web services standard for process workflow. The standard would be based on a specification originally written by IBM Corp., Microsoft Corp. and BEA Systems Inc.

Microsoft, IBM and BEA Systems plan to submit their Web services choreography and business process specification, initially proposed in August 2002, to a standards body later this week.

An upcoming version of the Web services specification SOAP has moved a step closer to finalization and may be completed by March, according to the World Wide Web Consortium.

Web services standardization is advancing on several fronts, including choreography and intellectual property concerns, a World Wide Web Consortium official said in an interview this week.