WebSphere Revolution

Steve understood that this was not going to be a popular decision within IBM, it made perfect sense to him as he explains, “At that time Apache had almost 50 percent of the market of installed HTTP server stacks on the Web so it was overwhelmingly dominant above all other choices.” Steve knew that choosing Apache would give WebSphere a huge boost in the marketplace and provide the plethora of Apache users with a natural upgrade path to WebSphere Application Server so Apache was in. And as predicted, there were some within IBM who were not pleased with Steve’s decision. They felt it was a mistake to choose an open source software offering over a technically superior IBM product regardless of its market share. But Steve was steadfast and pressed on in the new Apache direction and he would soon be proven right. Since the Apache HTTP Server was freely available as an open source offering, IBM didn’t need anyone’s permission to include it with WebSphere Application Server. However, IBM knew that by helping the budding Apache Group grow they would also be positioning WebSphere for growth in the marketplace. So a meeting was arranged in San Francisco with Brian Behlendorf of the Apache Group, Steve Mills, and IBM VP of Web Server Marketing Paraic Sweeney. And it was a very unusual meeting for IBM. As Paraic recalls, Brian was “A young guy just out of college—tee shirt, jeans, and a long pony tail—meeting with two IBM executives who flew in from New York for the breakfast meeting.” It was memorable. As a result of that meeting, IBM would begin to nurture the fledgling Apache Group by helping them organize their first conference, providing legal help incorporating, and helping them port Apache to Windows NT. IBM went public with its Apache plans on June 2, 1998 and the news hit big—reaching beyond the IT publications and into mainstream media such as BusinessWeek. IBM would become a full participant in the Apache Server project and contribute technology from its own HTTP server. Then on September 9, IBM announced WebSphere Application Server version 1.1 which would come with the Apache Server. The open standards push was on. The decision to package the popular Apache Server with WebSphere gave IBM a significant boost in the marketplace and heralded a new direction for IBM Software Group. For the first time IBM was openly embracing open source software. It was a huge move that foreshadowed the deep commitment to open source software and open standards that continues to be critical to the success of WebSphere and IBM. It was a bold move that still pays enormous dividends to IBM even today. By the end of the first year, the WebSphere team had seen a tremendous amount of excitement and produced a relatively simple yet innovative product very quickly but this was only the beginning of the WebSphere story. The best was yet to come. More on the Web • WebSphere 1.0 announcement (press release 5/5/98) • WebSphere/Apache Collaboration (press release 6/22/98) • WebSphere 1.1 announcement (press release 9/9/98) • Performance enhancement announce ment (press release 10/14/98) • WebSphere 10th Anniversary Celebration “People thought it was a ‘big wow’ that the IBM Company had chosen Apache as its base.” —Steve Mills, IBM Senior Vice President and Software Group Executive In June 1998, IBM surprised the industry by announcing that WebSphere would ship with the Apache HTTP server. Apache Software Foundation logo 15 http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/2678.wss http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/2587.wss http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/2482.wss http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/2427.wss http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/2427.wss http://www.ibm.com/websphere/birthday http://www.ibm.com/websphere/birthday

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of WebSphere Revolution

WebSphere Revolution Table of Contents The Rise of Internet Business WebSphere Takes the Stage WebSphere Application Server Evolves Beyond the Application Server WebSphere and On Demand Business New Flexibility through SOA An Eye Toward the Future

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