In December, Coversant unveiled its SoapBox Platform 2007, promising new features and a high throughput solution to enterprise-grade, presence-based collaborative messaging (CM). SoapBox Platform 2007 is designed to provide secure "always on" collaborative messaging and to be interoperable across domains and platforms.
The newly released version includes Soapbox Server 2007, which uses Microsoft's .NET framework [define] in conjunction with the XMPP protocol, SoapBox Communicator, which is an enterprise instant messaging (EIM) application, as well as SoapBox Studio, a set of open source SDKs [define].
Coversant was an early adopter of XMPP [define], and as such, its collaborative messaging offering features compatibility with Google Talk and Apple iChat, as well as other popular XMPP-based networks. With its 2007 Platform release, Coversant offers new features for server management and support for a wide array of popular directories including Active Directory [define], Novell eDirectory, Sun One Directory Server and LDAP [define], as well as other open source directories. Coversant touts SoapBox Server 2007 as being the first XMPP server for Intel's Itanium 2 processor (with IA64 support). It also claims it has achieved a high message throughput and highest number of connected users for a single XMPP-based server, as benchmarked through an independent HP Labs testing.
Coversant's SoapBox Studio 2007 is a suite of open source software developer kits (SDKs) for building collaborative EIM applications based on the XMPP protocol. The SDKs are included with SoapBox Platform 2007, and are available for the x86, x64, and IA64 platforms. SoapBox Studio 2007 comes with more than 50 code examples, including a fully functional desktop sample client, a mobile client, web client, and file transfer, and others. Applications built using SoapBox Studio can be deployed on Windows, Linux, Pocket PC, Smartphone, and on the Web and are also compatible with XMPP instant messaging systems.
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| SoapBox Studio 2007 comes with more than 50 code examples.
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In supporting Soapbox Studio developers, Coversant launched an online developer community Web site that offers source code, documentation, and blogs and a discussion forum.
Coversant claims its SoapBox Platform 2007 is the most advanced collaborative messaging platform on which to build and administer future-proof messaging applications. If combined with SoapBox Server, it offers policy management capabilities with data encryption, which is well-suited for security-conscious public and private sector organizations.
As if having the the U.S. Department of Defense (Joint Forces and the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command) as a client wasn't enough to attest to its security capabilities, Jason Frankel, CEO of Coversant, says that SoapBox Platform 2007 offers built-in security mechanisms and support. Also, with the SoapBox Studio collection of SDKs, developers can easily snap in their own customized security mechanisms into the server for additional security features as needed by the client.
Archiving is built-in and, according to Frankel, also meets the requirements of the recently updated Federal Rules of Civil Procedures, which was amended last December. Frankel went on to say that along with built-in archiving, SoapBox Platform 2007 offers policy support through a simplified process. "It can synchronize with Active Directory, for example, to allow or disallow new or existing groups, and you can easily set auditing options for the groups. It automatically records to the database and allows for filtering content."
Through independent HP Labs testing, Coversant says that its performance benchmarks achieved 250,000 concurrent users on a single SoapBox server (an HP box), with a throughput of 5,000 messages per second. Frankel told InstantMessagingPlanet.com that the HP Labs testing was initiated by RIPL Corp., an operator of next-generation social networking applications.
Following the results of the HP Labs testing, RIPL Corp. decided to use the SoapBox Platform 2007 as its CM solution. Bill Messing, CEO of RIPL and former executive at MSN and Classmates.com, said the company looked carefully at other XMPP messaging solutions, but chose the Coversant platform after determining it was the lowest cost to own and operate, on both a per-server and per-user basis.
Other features of the SoapBox Platform 2007 release include a 64-bit Enterprise Edition of SoapBox Server. Coversant provides a management tools, SoapBox Server Management Studio with all versions of the server, not just with the Enterprise Edition.
The SoapBox Server Management Studio is designed to enable remote administration from anywhere that supports an XMPP connection. Customers can choose from two licensing options for SoapBox Server 2007 (after a free 30-day trial) either per processor or by standard Client Access License contract. The Enterprise Edition is available for $18,850 per server in either 32 or 64-bit, or $30 per user for the first 500 seats. The Standard edition is available for $4,850 per server, or $15 per user for the first 500 seats. Redistribution licenses are available for both oversions. Coversant offers the Express Edition of SoapBox Server for free, as well as its SoapBox Communicator and the complete SoapBox Studio 2007.
With SoapBox Platform 2007 Coversant said it is targeting always-on organizations and their customers, partners and suppliers who need to support collaborative business processes across organizational boundaries with security and interoperability.
While Frankel said the SoapBox Platform 2007 edition has marked several achievements for Coversant, the company is looking beyond SoapBox Platform 2007 and says to expect to see SoapBox Communicator 2007, a new collaborative messaging client, CM extensions, as well as managed services in the first and second quarters of 2007.
Vangie Beal is a regular contributor to InstantMessagingPlanet.com.
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