IBM Creates Software Code Exchange

IBM Creates Software Code Exchange

Robert Mullins, IDG News Service Tue Mar 13, 10:00 AM ET

IBM Corp. is enhancing its software developer's support program by creating
a software code exchange.
IBM's developerWorks Exchange is an addition to its broader developerWorks
program. It seeks to give developers globally the opportunity to share code
and other information with one another and tap into the collective expertise
of the developerWorks community.

The formal announcement of the Code Exchange is expected Tuesday, but an IBM
executive discussed it Monday at the Developer Relations Conference, a
technology forum in Redwood City, California.

IBM's Code Exchange will be used to help developers design applications to
run on IBM's instant messaging (IM) platform Sametime, said Kathy
Mandelstein, director of IBM's worldwide developer marketing and developer
relations.

Sametime features Web conferencing and video sharing on its IM platform but
independent developers can sample code to develop other features, called
plug-ins, Mandelstein said.

"This helps people who might have a special [feature] but the
functionality's not there yet there to create their own plug-in. They can
share their APIs with others and get feedback," she said.

Managers of software development communities at several major technology
companies, including Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Motorola Inc. are at
the conference.

Motorola calls its development network Motodev and encourages its members to
develop software applications to run on Motorola mobile phones or set-top
boxes, said Claudia Backus, director of marketing for ecosystem and software
platform at Motorola.

"Developers are looking for knowledge of course, [but] they don't want just
technical knowledge. They actually want us to help them go to market and be
successful in selling their applications," Backus said.

Nokia <http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Nokia> Corp. and IBM each
have millions of independent software developers worldwide who need support,
said John Andrews, chief operating officer and president of Evans Data
Corp., which hosted the conference.

"Those developers are critical to the success of all those technology
companies because they are the ones who drive the innovation," Andrews said.