BEA Systems, Inc. reaffirmed at its flagship global forum, BEAWorld 2005, that its WebLogic Server platform "goes above and beyond offering basic Web services" and can help deliver fully functioning SOAs.

WebLogic Server 9, which began shipping in includes an enterprise-grade kernel that is designed to dramatically reduce downtime, provide support for multiple programming models and offer enhanced administration and management capabilities.

WebLogic Server, coupled with BEA AquaLogic Service Bus, is designed to provide the necessary components for enterprise-wide SOA. Developers can choose their preferred development framework with the multi-programming model support in WebLogic Server, which is also designed to manage clusters of Tomcat and Geronimo servers. This ability to mix and match the best components and deployment platforms can help developers increase productivity and realize cost savings.

"Our blended framework approach and J2EE application server environment are a testament to application servers becoming the core enterprise engine," said Peter Cooper-Ellis, general manager of WebLogic Server for BEA Systems. "The majority of enterprises use one or more open source frameworks and up to 28 percent use more than one type of application server within their development environments. Not all application servers are created equal and customers should demand more from their core enterprise engine."

The WebLogic Communications Platform is also the backbone of telephony and network providers, helping enable them to roll out new data and Web services such as VoIP, integrated fixed and wireless services, multi-player gaming and conferencing applications without network degradation.

With WebLogic Server's ability to plug into SOA and support the AquaLogic product family, developers can now use all the new Web Services features of J2EE 1.4 and others, BEA said.