Brave new APPS the application servers

摘要

For GERS Retail Systems, application servers and Web services aren't just buzzwords: They're business necessities. The 250-employee San Diego-based company develops point-of-sale software for over 300 retailers, including Black & Decker, Nextel, and Z Gallerie―a national upscale home furnishings chain. Management realized back in 2000 that it would have to update its infrastructure with an application server to keep the company ahead of the competition. The goal was to let businesses offer their customers multiple ways to buy goods: from retail stores, the Web, online catalogs, kiosks, mobile phones, and PDAs. The company also wanted to keep up with customers that were moving their servers to Linux to reduce licensing costs―a growing trend in corporate America.