VisualAge offers secure access to legacy and remote data in heterogeneous client environments. Using this VisualAge feature, developers can stay within their familiar development environment and quickly deploy new functionality in business objects, which encapsulate business logic and are treated as normal JavaBeans. They can use this business logic within existing Java applications. Business Components supply dedicated, encapsulated business functionality via stable interfaces. Open and stable access to Business Components is provided through Business Objects and their corresponding Business APIs.
Business Objects are representations of stable, real-world entities such as customer or invoice.
Coupled with the Enterprise Access Builder, VisualAge for Java cannot be beat when it comes to Java development environments. Later this year, BAPIs also will be accessible through Component Broker, the IBM middleware solution for distributed object computing. Component Broker was used in developing a Web application demonstrated by Robert Wenig, director of Advanced Technology, SAP Labs, at the SAP TechEd Developer Conference in Los Angeles on August 31. The newly formed IBM Global ERP Solutions unit will link IBM sales, services and developmental resources around the company into more tightly integrated and relevant industry solutions for IBM ERP customers.