Available now, the Nexaweb Studio 2.4 environment plugs into the Eclipse IDE and is a component of the Nexaweb Enterprise Web 2.0 Suite. The suite features components for building Java-based systems for SOA and supports rich Internet application development. Both Java and AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) development are supported.

Nexaweb's Web 2.0 capabilities include enabling a rich UI, a high level of productivity and interactivity, and the ability to build mashup applications, said Robert Gagne, vice president of engineering at Nexaweb. "The 'Enterprise' piece is that we offer a platform that integrates with the SOA that our customers have been building," Gagne said.

The basis of Nexaweb's idea of Enterprise Web 2.0 is "actually quite compelling," said Ronald Schmelzer, senior analyst at ZapThink, in an e-mail.

"The main idea is to shift the power of the creation of business applications from the providers of service capability -- the IT department -- to the consumers of the business capability: the business," Schmelzer said.

Version 2.4 of Studio features enhancements to business logic integration with the UI; wizards and automation are featured to reduce the need for hand-coding, Gagne said. Data visualization capabilities also lessen hand-coding; a new data interface binds UI components to a data component directory.