Java CAPS 6 allows users to leverage existing and new IT investments to create an SOA (Service Oriented Architecture). infrastructure that more closely meets their organizations’s needs by supporting rapid component integration in a modular fashion, says Sun. 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. Sun's MDM suite gives enterprises a single view of their customer data across disparate systems. This can allow them to leverage information across their organizations, 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," said 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," said 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," said Frank Lacroix, senior manager, Carrefour Group. Java CAPS 6 key components include: 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 organizations to address critical business issues and take corrective actions proactively. 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.