IBM – commonly known as ‘Big Blue’ – has acquired application development software provider StrongLoop.
StrongLoop, which was established in 2013, has headquarters in San Mateo, California, USA. Its solutions enable developers to “connect enterprise applications to mobile, Internet of Things (IoT) and web applications in the cloud” through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The company specializes in enterprise Node.js solutions for Systems of Engagement applications development and is a key member of the Node community, managing in excess of 150 modules located in the Node Package Manager.
APIs are becoming increasingly important for the cloud. They establish protocols that allow different applications and software to talk to each other. IBM will integrate StrongLoop’s Node.js capabilities (which include software such as MobileFirst and WebSphere) to its Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) ‘IBM Bluemix’ operating environment. This will offer the Java and Node.js communities access to a range of IBM and third-party services, including its Watson ‘Big Data’ solution. It will also enable customers to “better use enterprise data and conduct transactions whether in the cloud or on-premises” and build “scalable APIs, and to more easily connect existing back-end, enterprise processes with front-end mobile, IoT and web apps in an open, hybrid cloud”.
“With this acquisition, the industry benefits from Node.js’ formal entry into the mainstream enterprise,” explained StrongLoop’s Chief Executive Officer, Juan Carlos Soto. “As leaders in the Node.js open community, we plan to further advance open, community-driven innovation coupled with global, enterprise class software and services offerings to grow client value in the API economy.”
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