Q: What are we announcing? A: IBM and Zend previously announced an agreement to develop the industry's first integrated solution designed to help developers build and deploy database-driven web applications based on the popular PHP web language. Under this agreement, Zend will make available "Zend Core for IBM" which will provide a seamless out-of-the-box PHP development and production environment supported by Zend and integrated with IBM's Cloudscape and DB2 database programs. As of today, July 12, 2005, IBM and Zend are making this innovative technology available to the community of customers and partners. In addition, Zend Technologies is introducing the availability of Zend Network, an enterprise quality support infrastructure and offering for the Zend Core for IBM product 
 Q: How does this benefit the open source community? A: This collaboration reinforces IBM's commitment to the open source community and foundations such as Linux, Apache, Eclipse and Derby. IBM's newly introduced and optimized DB2 and Cloudscape extension for PHP will be submitted back to the PHP community and integrated into Zend Core for IBM. This expands IBM's investment in open source by helping developers more effectively create and deploy applications. The availability of Zend Core for IBM will significantly enhance developer support for IBM's Cloudscape open-source database, as PHP is one of the most popular Web programming languages in the world. In addition, the Zend Core PHP maintenance process ensures better stability and reliability of PHP as a result of intensive testing and bug fixes that are posted back to the PHP community of users across all facets of the market.
Q: What is PHP? A: PHP is one of the most popular Web languages in the world, currently accounting for more than 40 percent of the overall market and approximately 70 percent of the UNIX-based Apache Web platform market. It has demonstrated phenomenal growth over the last 4 years and we expect to see that continue.
Q: Why PHP? A: PHP has proven it is robust, easy to use and scalable for business-critical dynamic web applications. PHP currently accounts for more than 40 percent of the overall web programming language market and approximately 70 percent of the UNIX-based Apache Web platform market. Companies such as Lufthansa uses PHP for its e-ticketing system; Electronic Arts uses PHP for Sim City Online; Boeing for a payload measure system and Orange for its WAP portal.
Q: How will Zend Core be distributed? A: Zend Core for IBM is now available as a free download via the DB2 and Cloudscape product site and IBM's developer portal, DeveloperWorks. Via this easy-to-use package, PHP production servers can be setup within minutes. Additionally, a new PHP technology area will be introduced within IBM DeveloperWorks to assist developers as they adopt PHP and IBM technologies into their application solutions. Zend Core for IBM support and updates will be made available directly from Zend Technologies. This offering will be compatible with existing products such as Zend Platform and Zend Studio.
Q: Why Zend? A: Zend is the PHP company. Zend's co-founders Andi Gutmans and Zeev Suraski are the architects of PHP. Beginning in 1997 when they brought PHP 3.0 to the world they have been deeply involved with every release of PHP. Also, Zend is responsible for creating and maintaining the Zend Engine, the heart of PHP and the critical element of each PHP distribution.
Q: Who is Zend? A: Zend Technologies was founded by Doron Gerstel, Andi Gutmans and Zeev Suraski in 1999. Zend wears two hats, one supporting PHP by writing and maintaining the Zend Engine and other PHP extensions such as the SOAP extension. All of this work is open source and donated back to the PHP community. Zend's commercial business is bringing products and services to the market to help customers develop, deploy and manage PHP applications. Zend's solution supports the lifecycle of business-critical PHP applications. Zend is a privately held, venture backed company. It recently announced strategic investments by Intel Capital and SAP Ventures.
Q: What is Zend Core for IBM? A: Zend Core for IBM is a seamless out-of-the-box, easy to install and supported PHP development and production environment. The product includes tight integration with DB2, the IBM Cloudscape database server, and native support for XML and Web Services, while also supporting increased adoption of Service Oriented Architectures (SOA). It delivers a rapid development and deployment foundation for database driven applications and offers an upgrade path from the easy-to-use, lightweight Cloudscape database to the mission critical DB2, by providing a consistent API between the two.
Q: What is Zend doing for this product? A: Zend is focused on its core strength, the PHP aspects of the product and IBM is focused on the database elements. Zend and IBM will continue to work together to expand the adoption of PHP and integrated database technology to enhance the functional support in Zend Core and related products.
Q: Is Zend Core for IBM available now? A: Yes, it is now available for Linux x86, x86_64, POWER, and AIX platforms. A beta version for Windows is planned for 3Q 2005. Zend Core for IBM is available for DB2 and Cloudscape now, and includes support for the latest version of Informix Dynamic Server in coming releases.
Q: How do I get the product? A: Zend Core for IBM will be available from IBM's website.
Q: How much will support and services be? A: Zend is also introducing the Zend Network, a comprehensive service and support system delivering enterprise-quality updates and support to PHP developers. The offering will be consistent with other open source offerings in the market with the design goal to meet the needs of enterprise-class customers. Zend offers several support programs. The silver Zend Core support program features software HotFix upgrade service and provides unlimited number of support incidents through a Web Interface. This service is subscription based and it costs $295 per server per annum. This support program can be purchased through the zend.com web site. A special introductory price of $195 is being offered for the Basic Service package until Sept 30, 2005. Additional support program featuring phone support and 24x7 are offered as well through Zend sales.
Q: Are IBM and Zend collaborating on anything else besides Zend Core for IBM? A: IBM and Zend are jointly working on furthering PHP technology directions to include strengthening high-level database integration frameworks and enhancing PHP web services standards.
Q: What are the business terms of the IBM/Zend partnership? A: IBM and Zend are collaborating on development and support for the PHP environment. It is a strategic business relationship.
Q: Will IBM try to resolve problems reported against DB2/Cloudscape databases? A: IBM will provide support (fee-based) for the underlying database servers used within the Zend Core for IBM solution.
Q: Will Zend have a reseller agreement for DB2? A: No. Customer will already have DB2, or will come to IBM to purchase DB2.
Q: Will Zend have a reseller agreement for Cloudscape? A: No, customer will get free IBM Cloudscape software from Zend, but will need to contact IBM to purchase a support contract if desired. | 
