Tapping into the booming software development market in Russia, IBM is giving software developers, architects and students free access to software and hundreds of new tools and technical and educational resources that will enable them to more easily build open standards-based applications.
With a few clicks of a mouse, developers can download free versions of IBM middleware, IBM WebSphere Application Server Community Edition and IBM DB2 Universal Database Express-C, as well as access trial code, tutorials, technical forums, emerging technologies and blogs where IBM technical experts share their tips and expertise
Russia has one of the largest, growing developer populations in the world. IDC estimates that Russia will experience approximately 40 percent growth in its developer population between 2005 and 2008*. Developer growth is also fueled by Russia’s large IT student population, as more than 1.3 million students have graduated from Russian universities with information technology related skills over the last seven years.
IBM WebSphere Application Server Community Edition is an open source-based application server that helps developers reduce the complexity of application development by pre-integrating the most common services for building Java-based applications. The customizable software features a small footprint, making it easier to download and manage. Also available at no charge is IBM DB2 Universal Database Express-C, which offers the same core DB2 data server in a smaller package specifically designed for use in software development, deployment, redistribution and embedding within applications.
Additionally, the launch of IBM developerWorks Russia can help developers hone their skills and stay on top of emerging trends. Today’s announcement builds on the success of IBM developerWorks, IBM’s resource for more than 5 million registrants worldwide.
Developers can use the new resources to build skills in technologies such as Linux, Java and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), while becoming more adept in software development tools such as IBM Rational software and Eclipse. For example, a developer tasked with creating a new application for his client that uses a popular scripting language, such as PHP, alongside the Java language, could find resources to help him complete the project.
Today’s announcement is part of a global initiative to help accelerate the development and adoption of open standards-based solutions in emerging markets, such as China, India, Russia and Brazil, as well as in established markets worldwide. A shift is occurring in the marketplace, as governments and clients in emerging markets move away from proprietary technology to open standards-based business solutions. In 2005, nearly 500 developers a day joined IBM’s ecosystem every day in emerging markets.
Tim Draper, founder and a managing director of global venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson, supports open standards. “Open standards tend to encourage creativity. We believe that entrepreneurs everywhere can better improve the world with open platforms to work from. Our affiliates in emerging countries and all their portfolio companies will almost certainly benefit from the adoption of open standards.”
The launch of developerWorks Russia is the latest step in an effort to reach Russia developers. In 2004, IBM announced an expansion of the IBM Innovation Center in Moscow, which has offered porting and testing services to more than 100 ISVs, helping them deliver open standards-based solutions to market faster. IBM also sponsored the first Russian Tech Tour which has brought about 50 venture capital firms to Russia to introduce them to 20 innovative high tech companies in different development stages. And through IBM’s Academic Initiative, IBM has worked with more than 45 Russian universities to drive open standards skills among Russia’s growing student population.
“As a future systems analyst, I found developerWorks Russia to be a valuable source of technology information. Browsing developerWorks on a regular basis and using IBM’s new developerWorks Russia resources helps to make the learning curve for leading-edge technologies smoother and more comfortable,” said Victor Mitin, IT student at Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
“As governments and clients in emerging markets increasingly move toward adopting open standards-based solutions, regions such as Russia are whole heartedly embracing these emerging technologies,” said Buell Duncan, general manager, ISV & Developer Relations, IBM. “IBM is committed to developing long-standing relationships with software developers and arming them with the top-notch software and resources they need to build and deploy open standards-based solutions.”
