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DevEngage, a free Web application development tool with a simple user interface, has been released by IBM. Short for "Development Engagement Service," DevEngage was created by IBM's Haifa Research Laboratory in Israel as an interactive tool for developing online forms for common small business' tasks, such as human resources, finance, sales or marketing, and the like. DevEngage automates manual processes, such as the collection and analysis of information.

"This new application development tool will let users with no software development expertise skill create online forms with ease that complete routine tasks," said Gal Shachor, project lead for this technology at the IBM Research Lab in Haifa. "IBM wants to ensure users that small and medium-sized businesses are able to capitalize on modern Web 2.0 technologies in a simple, user-friendly way."

DevEngage builds on Web 2.0 attributes and uses AJAX. Users develop the online forms over the Web on any Internet browser. The tool generates applications using common metaphors and practices to automate routine tasks, such as form processing where forms are distributed, filled and then entered into a database. The user is taken through a series of "wizard" pages that let him specify details such as an application name, behavior, look-and-feel.

Once the user defines the application, the definition is submitted to the tool's Java-based serverside back-end where the application is constructed. At this point the back-end uses templates to generate the application and returns to the user a URL, pointing the user to the Web-accessible online form.

DevEngage is available as a hosted technology on IBM alphaWorks Services, which was established to give early adopters access to emerging software services from IBM labs. Platform requires include Windows (2000, XP), Linux, and Mac OS X, and Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.2. (Tested on Internet Explorer 6 and 7 and Firefox 1.5+. Opera and Safari are not supported).

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