Version 3.5 of BlueGlue allows businesses to create, integrate and manage open-source, commercial and proprietary applications in mixed Windows and Linux environments as needed, using a larger pool of open-source applications than the earlier version of the suite.

"The major enhancement here is extensibility. What we've done is open up the [application programming interface] for the enterprise so our enterprise customers can add their own open-source programs that they're using" to the custom-tailored BlueGlue stacks," said Steve Grandchamp, CEO of Broomfield, Colo.-based OpenLogic. "They can create the perfect certified stacks for their use."

The previous version of BlueGlue included 120 open-source applications to choose from; Version 3.5 includes more than 150, he said. The available applications include the Apache Ant Java tool, the Eclipse development platform and a myriad of plug-ins, the Hibernate Java framework, the mySQL relational database, the PHP scripting language, the PostgreSQL relational database and Tomcat, a Java servlet container.

BlueGlue also automates the installation of the selected applications and allows custom configurations or changes to add or remove applications at a later date, according to the company. The updated software stack also includes new controls to filter or limit the types of open-source projects available to development and IT organizations by license -- a move aimed at giving companies more control over application use.

"The risk and complexity of working in a mixed open-source development environment has made it difficult to manage projects across an enterprise," Grandchamp said. "With the latest version of BlueGlue, OpenLogic introduces a mainstream approach to its documentation and support services. We create a bridge between the open-source community and the enterprise."