IBM PLACES Middleware
Middleware that allows the integration of various positioning technologies and the consolidation of them with ease into a single, managed interface; middleware includes a set of easy-to-use, location-based programming APIs.
Date Posted: November 7, 2006
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What is IBM PLACES Middleware?
Location-Aware Service (LAS) is middleware that lets application providers take advantage of location-based services from multiple vendors, while providing application developers with an easy-to-use, yet powerful, application programming interface (API). IBM PLACES (Points-of-interest, Locations, and Asset Catalog for Enterprise Services) Middleware is an implementation of LAS that provides indoor, location-aware services implementation that allows real-time positioning using various radio frequency (RF) technologies, asset tracking, geocoding, mapping, and directory services from the user's Web application.
IBM PLACES Middleware follows the OpenLS standard and aims to provide services such as mapping, positioning, directory, geocoding, reverse-geocoding, and routing. The additional adapter framework allows various positioning technologies such as RFID, Zigbee, or UWB to be plugged in the middleware for use through the positioning service.
Using the APIs provided with IBM PLACES Middleware, one can create innovative, location-aware, Web-based applications, such as IBM PLACESadmin (another alphaWorks technology, which is recommend for use in conjunction with IBM PLACES Middleware).
This technology runs on Windows® and Linux®.
How does it work? On the front end, IBM PLACES Middleware provides a set of Java™-based standard APIs that developers can call to perform location-aware functions such as real-time coordinate positioning, geocoding, or mapping. Developers can focus on the application without worrying about tedious implications. On the back end, IBM PLACES Middleware consolidates various positioning technologies using a Java-based, configurable adapter framework. It also integrates various location warehouses.
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| | About the technology author(s):
 Victor Shen is a software engineer at the IBM China Software Development Lab (CSDL) in Taipei, Taiwan. He joined CSDL in 2005 and was responsible for the development of IBM PLACES Middleware applications; currently, he focuses on IBM IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) and WebSphere® DataPower solutions. Mr. Shen is also a Sun-certified programmer, a Sun-certified business component developer, and an IBM-certified, on-demand business solution designer.
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 Vincent Chang is a staff software engineer at IBM CSDL. He joined CSDL in 2000 and has worked as a developer, development leader, and technical consultant providing lab-based technical support to the Asia Pacific region. He has over five years of software design and development experience. Mr. Chang has thorough knowledge of Java programming and IBM products related to pervasive computing, including WebSphere Application Server, WebSphere Portal Server, WebSphere Everyplace Access, WebSphere Everyplace Server for Telecom, DB2 UDB, and MQ Series. He is also familiar with Telecom specifications, such as Parlay/OSA and SIP.
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 Matt Lee is a software engineering manager at IBM CSDL. Mr. Lee joined IBM in 2001 as a software developer and now manages a development and testing team. His areas of expertise include pervasive computing, host integration solutions, grid computing, and SOA solutions. Mr. Lee is currently working on WebSphere DataPower SOA Appliance Testing.
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 Rick Wu is a software engineering manager at IBM CSDL. He joined IBM in 1998. Mr. Wu has experience in software design, development, and testing, and his areas of expertise include pervasive computing, telecom solutions, and RFID solutions. Mr. Wu is currently working on WebSphere Everyplace Deployment development and testing.
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IBM PLACES Middleware and IBM PLACESadmin were originally invented and developed at IBM Watson Research Center by David Wood, Ted Habeck, Sastry S. Duri, Alan Cole, and Jonathan Munson.
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