'With intelligence built into the hardware it will force middleware vendors to focus their attention on increasing the functionality of their software solutions rather than having to incorporate various messaging standards that enable integration with systems. Middleware will always be there, but might move away from application design,' Dijkstra says.

Ruthven believes that the move to build more intelligence into the network in the router and server space is a good thing. 'This will take away from some of the components of messaging within the middleware space, but it will mean easier middleware integration into SAO systems. The intelligent network only impacts on a very small portion of what middleware is and does,' he adds.

'The portal is middleware'

Ruthven says there is still a significant amount of middleware which companies can develop and refine to suit customers' individual needs. For example, he says: 'A portal is not an application, it is actually middleware through which an end-user's applications are displayed through. This is where IBM is focusing its attention. We are not planning to move anywhere into the network level or application space.'