WebSphere is IBM's premiere platform for developing Internet/ electronic commerce applications. It not only runs applications, but does so as an extension to existing servers like Apache and IIS. WebSphere is an appealing e-business solution because it makes cross-platform support easy with a Java focus, and it supports the creation of more general business applications (not just business-to-consumer stores) than other available platforms. While it provides a solid, flexible, object-oriented base for the future of Web applications, it presents some development challenges. Peterson guides you through the development process, covering topics that include: Network Computing Framework, ESJ architecture, WebSphere internal architecture, overview and use of SanFrancisco Project, XML support, Sunís Commerce Enterprise JavaBeans, WebSphere Studio, and Visual Age for Java (from IBM) for developing applications.

CD-ROM includes sample code from the book, an XML parser in Java, a demo of SanFrancisco, and additional software for e-commerce servers.