Contact:
Betty George
betty@summa-tech.com
770.418.9663
Pittsburgh, PA (May 5, 2009) - Summa, a provider of IT consulting and software solutions, recently engaged with IBM Corporation to conduct analysis and testing on the key factors for total cost of ownership (TCO) for IBM WebSphere Application Server and JBoss Application Server. Open Source Software has been receiving significant consideration in the IT industry as the adoption of open source application servers increases. Many companies are attracted to open source software because of perceived cost savings based on the fact that there are no up-front license fees. There are many factors besides license costs that should be considered when making key software infrastructure decisions. Summa's study focuses on medium and large IT configurations analyzing the license, subscription, support and hardware costs, along with application and infrastructure administration costs.
At IMPACT, Summa is announcing a new Open Source Viability Assessment for customers. These assessments will help customers to look at all the options and costs associated with open source software and commercial software.
And, IBM and Summa will be releasing a white paper that contains detailed findings comparing IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment V7 and JBoss Application Server V5. The study described in the paper focuses on a typical, moderate to large-sized application server environment.
"Summa's experience positions us to assist our clients on how best to incorporate and invest in the best mix of commercial and open source software to achieve highest reliability levels and lower long-term TCO. Over many projects in a variety of client settings, we see the importance of looking beyond initial licensing and development costs to include a consideration of important operational factors and costs that are often overlooked. " said Rick Kotermanski, CTO of Summa.
The results of the study are helpful to any customers considering the acquisition or replacement of IBM WebSphere Application Server versus open source JBoss Application Server. Roman Kharkovski, WebSphere Executive IT Specialist from IBM, comments, "Customer reaction to the results of the study have corroborated many of our findings. Initially skeptical, even strong Open Source Software advocates with large enterprise application environments comment on how on-mark the results of our study are with respect to the operational challenges of JBoss Application Server."
Summa believes that, just like in the construction business, good tools go a long way. Even when the initial acquisition cost is higher, capabilities of more expensive commercial tools can deliver faster and higher ROI compared to free open source alternatives. However, each project is unique and the selection of tools must be appropriate. One does not need a heavy duty excavator to dig a hole for a shrub. On the other hand, using a pick and a shovel to dig a mile long irrigation channel is probably not the right tool. Matching the right tools to project and application is what Summa does well.
Sandy Carter, IBM VP of SOA and WebSphere Marketing, agrees. "Open source and commercial software play an important role in almost every one of our customers' environments. Summa's assessment and study helps lead customers to informed decisions about the best combination of tools, infrastructure, middleware and frameworks."
Summa is also pleased to announce its participation in IMPACT, IBM's annual Smart SOA Conference. Summa is presenting two sessions at IMPACT - "Evaluating the Real TCO of WebSphere Application Foundation and Open Source Options" and "SOA Modernization of Carnegie Mellon University Student Information Systems." Summa is also an IMPACT sponsor and will be exhibiting in Booth #S18B.
For more information on the TCO white paper and Summa's Open Source Viability Assessment, please contact us at 412.258.3322 or tco-assessment@summa-tech.com.
About Summa
Since 1996, Summa has been providing high-impact IT consulting services and customized, commercial-grade software development for companies ranging from regional businesses to Global 2000 firms. Summa specializes in helping companies evaluate and implement IT modernization strategies to better meet their business objectives and is an industry-leading provider of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Portal and BPM solutions. Summa is an IBM Premier Business Partner.