ArsDigita Announces Availability of ACS 4.6 Java; ACS 4.6 Java Release Includes New J2EE Compliant Application Framework and Content Management System.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2001

ArsDigita today announced the general availability of the ArsDigita Community System (ACS) version 4.6 Java.

ACS 4.6 Java is a Java-based, J2EE-compliant application framework for developing sophisticated, content-intensive Web applications. The newest version of the open source ACS is comprised of ACS Core, which serves as a foundation for all ACS-backed Web applications, and an integrated application for content management. ACS 4.6 Java is available today for download at http://arsdigita.com/download.

"What I like most about ACS 4.6 is the way all the pieces use each other appropriately. From single sign-on authentication to categorization to persistence and the XSLT presentation layer, our services, object model, and schema are shared by applications of varying scope. This means that third-party developers use the exact same components that we use, and what we do to help them and our project teams improves the framework for everyone. I can easily imagine developers and large IT departments building their custom extensions on top of the open source ACS core and content management system, because they get all these services and future releases for free," says Richard Buck, SVP Engineering, ArsDigita.

Buck added, "We're moving to a non-viral open source license with this release, so developers will find it easier to sell modules and applications they build on top of ACS. That's a key part of our business model, and it should be open to others as well, who see the value of adding their unique knowledge to new modules that leverage the work we've put into ACS. The world of Web applications can evolve more rapidly if application developers only need to build what's new and unique, and can share the common heavy-lifting code that ACS provides."

ACS provides organizations greater flexibility, extensibility and maintainability of Web applications. ACS Core enables consistency across all applications of both the end-user experience and the underlying data, and eliminates expensive integration work since the applications are fully integrated. ACS is also provided with no license fees, ensuring a low total cost of ownership.

The benefits of building on top of the ACS Core framework include:

-- Faster delivery

-- Greater flexibility for customization to your requirements

-- Lower costs

-- Improved Web-based collaboration

ArsDigita offers custom solutions which utilize ACS 4.6 Java, including end-to-end content management, knowledge management, and catalog commerce.

What's New in ACS 4.6 Java

ACS 4.6 Java represents a significant architectural advance from prior versions of the product, introducing a 3-tier Web-centric architecture. Built on the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) platform, ACS is compliant with J2EE standards, and will run with J2EE-compliant application servers. ACS 4.6 Java cleanly separates presentation logic, application logic, and persistent storage to improve maintainability and flexibility.

In addition, ACS 4.6 Java provides:

-- Robust, upgradable APIs: 4.6 Java includes the ACS Core's

proven object model (which already sits at the heart of

hundreds of sophisticated Web applications) in the form of

Java class libraries.

-- XSLT-based presentation infrastructure: 4.6 Java uses

Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) as the

engine for presenting content.

-- User interface building blocks: To speed the development of

your application's user interface and improve its consistency,

4.6 Java provides a library of generic user interface

components, e.g., sortable tables, multiple-step forms, date

entry widgets.

-- Persistence: 4.6 Java defines a Persistence API that adopts

the Data Access Object design pattern from the J2EE Blueprints

to decouple application logic from the specifics of how and

where persistent data is stored.

-- Pluggable authentication: 4.6 incorporates the Java

Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS), enabling ACS

to remain independent from underlying authentication

technologies, e.g., an LDAP directory or the ACS's built-in

user database.

-- Globalization: Leveraging the Java 2 platform's built-in

internationalization facilities, 4.6 Java is engineered to

enable clean and efficient localization of ACS-based

applications.

For more information on what's new in ACS 4.6 Java, visit: http://arsdigita.com/products/4x/46.

New Java-based Content Management

ACS Content Management System (CMS) is a fully integrated component of the ACS 4.6 Java that provides end-to-end functionality for managing Web content. Offering scalability and extensibility, ACS CMS allows establishment of clearly defined roles and the creation and management of workflow processes to meet the needs of any production environment and any size organization. ACS CMS provides the necessary functionality to facilitate the design, authoring, review, approval, aggregation and deployment of Web content; the maintenance, monitoring, revising, and eventual archiving of published content; and advanced reporting and analysis.

For more information on ACS CMS, visit: http://arsdigita.com/products/cms.

About ArsDigita Corporation

ArsDigita is the leading provider of open source e-business software and solutions. The company's application development framework, the ArsDigita Community System (ACS), powers solutions for content management, knowledge management and commerce. ACS includes a set of integrated applications supporting a customer's core e-business requirements. With more than 33,000 copies downloaded, ACS provides the flexibility to adapt for an organization's future growth and rapid development, while enabling low total cost of ownership. Some of the world's largest organizations rely on ACS technology to drive their online success, including Siemens (NYSE:SI), Deutsche Bank, Oracle (Nasdaq:ORCL), The World Bank, and Away.com. Backed by General Atlantic, Greylock and Trident Partners, ArsDigita has grown to six offices in the United States and Europe. For more information, visit http://arsdigita.com.