Sun also released a new master data management (MDM) suite, a high performance and unified solution that gives users a single view of their customer data and helps them more effectively manage customer relationships. Java CAPS 6 is the first SOA platform by a major technology provider built on open source through the Open ESB community.

With Java CAPS 6, users are able to leverage existing and new IT investments to create an infrastructure that is more agile and better aligned with the needs of their organisations today. A lightweight and extensible platform, Java CAPS 6 lets users rapidly add and integrate components in a modular fashion. New enhancements to Java CAPS include: a modular Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) for rapidly coupling applications; advanced event processing and business process management capabilities and alignment with latest versions of the Sun GlassFish Enterprise Server and NetBeans Integrated Development Environment (IDE) software.

Organisations that are struggling to acquire and retain customers will benefit from Sun's MDM suite because they will have a single view of their customer data across disparate systems. This can allow them to leverage information across their organisations, identify their most valuable customers, implement opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell products and help reduce operational costs. Sun's MDM suite works across multiple industries, expanding the visibility of information and providing single "customer" views, whether the customer is a consumer, patient, citizen, subscriber or even another business.

"We are changing the way products are developed by collaborating with open source communities", stated Mark Herring, vice president of marketing, Software Infrastructure, Sun Microsystems. "Java CAPS 6 is a result of this effort and incorporates feedback received from community members, such as a modular and open platform and no vendor lock-in. We also addressed the needs of existing customers by offering easy ways to upgrade and backwards compatibility to previous versions."

"Lock-in with any vendor is a top concern for us", stated Vince Blanchard, director of architecture and new technology, Medavie Blue Cross. "Sun's implementation of the pluggable Java Business Integration (JBI) standard combined with its open source strategy within Open ESB and Java CAPS have addressed this concern for us."

"By leveraging the large adoption of the open source community, Java CAPS and the underlying GlassFish runtime environment give us high performance, stability, high availability, and strong operational management facilities", stated Frank Lacroix, senior manager, Carrefour Group.

Additional information on key components of Java CAPS 6 includes:

• Sun Java ESB Suite: based on Open ESB and JBI, the Sun Java ESB Suite is a completely open and modular platform that enables the rapid creation of composite applications and connects with various components and protocols for a flexible SOA.
• Intelligent Event Processor (IEP): offers the ability to identify trends and patterns in real-time, enabling organisations to address critical business issues and take corrective actions pro-actively.
• Business Process Management: supports BPEL 2, includes new high availability and failover features, and provides monitoring processes through integration with IEP.
• GlassFish and NetBeans (IDE) Software Support: incorporates the GlassFish Enterprise Server, using industry-leading interoperability with .NET and WSIT/Project Metro as well as the unified and pluggable NetBeans IDE software to provide greater control.

Introduced in 2006, Java CAPS has been deployed by hundreds of global customers and more than 350 partners. Customers like Carrefour Group, Medavie Blue Cross, Travelers Indemnity Company, and State of South Dakota and organisations like Accenture, Wipro, TCS and Cognizant participated in Sun's early access programme, which tested the product in real-world environments. In addition, Sun works with third parties that offer solutions that augment the benefits of Java CAPS including: Layer 7 Technologies (service-level security and governance); Savvion (process modelling and human work flow); ILOG and Fair Isaac Corporation (business rules management); eviware (SOA testing); and Pentaho and JasperSoft (business intelligence).

Sun is an active contributor to the Open ESB community, where it is enabling development and collaboration of next generation business integration technology. Recently launched, the Mural community attracts architects and developers interested in creating the next generation of data management technology, which leverages the NetBeans IDE software and the Open ESB communities.