Tibco's ActiveMatrix is a "service virtualization platform" that combines an ESB, orchestration tools, business logic tools, policy management and a services registry. It allows distributed services to be deployed in heterogeneous environments regardless of their native language.

Using Tibco ActiveMatrix, software developers can write core business logic for an application and deploy that business logic as a virtualized service in a service machine, or container, that makes every other detail configurable. The benefits of adopting service virtualization include less coding, more flexibility and easier governance.

"Tibco's pushed the envelope with grid architecture here," according to one member of the judging panel. "It definitely helps in terms of achieving technology independence and it gives users service platform that should be easier to scale. Most times you see a 'platforms' that lack any central organizing technology. This has it and it should enable users to deploy the functionality they need only when they need it."

Tibco also has a visual tool based on the emerging Service Component Architecture standard that allows for composite application creation. It improves developer productivity by promoting service reuse with a common service model and an Eclipse-based workbench across service containers that lets developers focus on building just the core service logic. The platform also features role-based management capabilities and baked-in policy enforcement.

Prices starts at $30K per CPU.