Does the App Server Market Still Exist? Page 6

By Jean-Christophe Cimetiere of TechMetrix Research

For the time being, ColdFusion offers considerable advantages in terms of simplicity and productivity.

PHP is a language designed for the creation of Web applications. Simple and powerful, PHP is an OSS project that is actively supported by Zend Technologies, a vendor that offers support and complementary products, such as Zend Cache (performance optimization), Zend Encoder (encrypt PHP Code), and Zend IDE. The challenge that lies ahead of the PHP writers — and now also the founders of Zend — is to find a solid niche in the market.

Enterprises tend to choose PHP in the following circumstances:

• They cannot, or will not, invest in the skills necessary to carry through Java projects.
• They do not want to be held hostage to Microsoft’s proprietary technology.
• Because PHP is open source, initial acquisition costs are nonexistent!