Red Hat on Thursday will offer an early version of JBoss.org portal technology that features more user-friendly capabilities than previously offered.
Called GateIn, the technology is to be available for download and developer contribution, said Red Hat, which will highlight the technology at the JBoss World conference in Chicago.
[ At the concurrent Red Hat Summit conference, Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst asked attendees whether they want IT flexibility or Larry Ellison. ]
GateIn is derived from an open source development model and results from a collaboration between JBoss and Paris-based eXo; it will serve as the next generation of both JBoss Portal and eXo. The project combines enterprise Java infrastructure from JBoss with user interface capabilities of eXo Platform, JBoss said.
"Right now, what we have is a very robust core engine. We lack some of the user experience capabilities," said Craig Muzilla, vice president of the Red Hat middleware business unit. GateIn, he noted, adds Web content management.
The portal technology could be used for applications such as an e-commerce front end or human resources, Muzilla said. GateIn efforts will be included in JBoss Enterprise Portal Platform 5.0, due for general release next year.
Features being considered for GateIn include granular management of virtual portals, drag-and-drop layouts, contextual menus and navigational controls, new security and identity administration panels, and support for open social applications. Alfresco, Jaspersoft, and Rivet Logic will certify technologies such as portlets and extensions to GateIn project technology, Red Hat said.
Additional information on GateIn is available online.