Software AG bolstered its presence in legacy modernization last week with the acquisition of an Israeli maker of tools that integrate legacy systems with service-oriented architectures.

Software AG's purchase of Sabratec Ltd., which makes ApplinX, positions the Reston, Va., company to be a strong player in the $1 billion legacy modernization market, said Joe Gentry, vice president of enterprise transaction systems for Software AG.

ApplinX turns legacy components into Web services for SOAs, thus bringing aging mainframe and legacy systems in line with modern architectures.

Gentry said that while Software AG and IBM provide similar capabilities, "We have a single, unified product set focused on doing this," whereas IBM has several distinct products. He said his company will look to partner with and market the ApplinX solution to systems integrators and consultants in the legacy modernization industry.

Tom Trimble, director of MIS for Oklahoma's Tulsa County, said his organization used ApplinX to Web-enable its Land Records Management System and "plans to use the product on future legacy integration projects."

Software AG has been active in XML and Web services standards efforts, including the WS-I (Web Services-Interoperability) Organization, officials said.

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Meanwhile, last week, Neon Systems Inc., of Sugarland, Texas, announced that American National Property and Casualty Co., in Springfield, Mo., had implemented Neon's Shadow z/Services mainframe Web services solution to provide Web services for CICS applications and modernize legacy batch-oriented systems to deliver real-time information to its field agents and employees, said Doug Gaar, lead programmer/analyst at ANPAC.

Neon recently acquired technologies and entered into partnerships to enhance its legacy modernization capabilities. The company last month acquired ClientSoft Inc., a Miami-based maker of mainframe integration software, and last June, Neon acquired InnerAccess Technologies Inc., a Toronto-based mainframe integration and Web services company. Neon has also partnered with Cape Clear Software Inc., in Waltham, Mass., and BEA Systems Inc., in San Jose, Calif., on mainframe integration and SOA solutions.

This article was first published on eweek.com.