Bulldog Beach, a custom solutions developer, has announced a new product: WireHose 1.0, software for building dynamic, scalable portals with integrated content management features.
It’s built in pure Java using Apple’s WebObjects application development environment. WireHose can unify data and content from nearly any database, and deliver it in a scalable fashion to any device, from Web browser to cell phone, according to Bob Evans, vice president of sales at Bulldog Beach.
The WireHose portal solution provides personalized access to any type of information. Developers or integration experts can develop and deploy a portal that can scale to support all groups from employees to customers on the Internet. Supporting standards such as XML and J2EE, WireHose solutions can be deployed in any Java application server.
WireHose is database independent, supporting nearly any database with a JDBC driver, including Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, etc. In addition to managing content and information directly, WireHose applications also allow users to retrieve information managed by other applications stored in foreign databases, warehouses and more. WireHose also understands special media types such as audio and video, in formats such as QuickTime, Windows Media and Real, according to Bulldog Beach President Lori Will.
It’s built from modular, reusable software frameworks and components, and has a comprehensive application programming interface (API), Will added. Developers, integration specialists and partners can customize and extend WireHose to support new information types and output devices, including desktop applications.
In addition to being deployed in any Java application server, WireHose applications include a built-in WebObjects application server, which provides multiple levels of load balancing. This enables WireHose to scale from departmental use, all the way to enterprise-wide deployments, Will added. Plus, WireHose solutions feature an intelligent, tunable caching system.
In February, the WireHose portal solution was demonstrated at the Apple booth during the QuickTime Live! conference. Apple Professional Services and Totally Hip Software showed TODD (Totally On Demand Delivery), a QuickTime-based media asset access and management tool, integrated with a Web portal application.
TODD enables users to search, receive, build play-lists and view content — all within the QuickTime player. Powered by WireHose, TODD enables companies that want to share data — audio, video, graphics or any of the 200-plus file formats QuickTime supports — with an infrastructure to handle the heavy workloads.
For a limited time, the WireHose portal solution is free for developer use. WireHose portal solution deployment licenses are US$10,000 per server.