IBM has reshuffled its application development deck as its Rational toolset goes through yet another set of name-changes.

Just two years ago, Big Blue replaced WebSphere Development Studio Client (WDSC) and its Advanced equivalent and replaced them with Rational-branded offerings. Now it's all change once again as Rational Developer for System i (RDi) is replaced by Rational Developer for Power Systems (RDp) and Rational Team Concert for i (RTCi) becomes Rational Team Concert for Power Systems (RTCp). But doesn't a further change in nomenclature run the risk of confusing existing and potential users alike?

IBM UK software business group's Rod Little says: "This is not something we do without careful consideration. In the case of WebSphere Development Studio Client, there was already considerable confusion around the use of 'WebSphere' which is the IBM software group brand for runtime middleware such as WebSphere Application Server. We were continually having to explain the difference between WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Development Studio Client. Rational is the software group brand for software development tools, so branding as Rational makes it clear these are development tools."

The new Rational development tools have a cross-platform reach and are generally a good thing, says Rational expert Andrew Ireland of Watford-based Binary Computer Services.

"IBM is moving to a common set of tools across all of the Power range of OSs," says Ireland. "Going forward, i will be part of the Power branding. This simplifies development for customers who have multiple OSs on Power, who are increasing in number. In the last two years, Rational have revitalised the i development tools. We have seen more enhancement during this period than during the previous ten years. These tools are key to taking advantage to the latest technologies on the i."

The move from Rational Developer for System i (RDi) and Rational Developer for Power Systems (RDp) comes as a free upgrade. IBM says that RDp support for AIX will be delivered as an additional chargeable module in the near feature. RDp's RPG and Cobol Development Tools for IBM i feature contains all the capabilities that were previously shipped in Rational Developer for i plus some new features like the visual DDS design tools Screen Designer and Report Designer.

The difference between the Rational Team Concert for i (RTCi) app lifecycle management solution and Rational Team Concert for Power Systems (RTCp) is primarily that RTCi only ran on i OS whereas RTCp can be deployed to i, AIX and Windows. In the not-too-distant future it will also run on Linux on Power. Apart from that, RTCp can be considered as version two of RTCi, according to Ireland. You can see a full list of new features here.

Although there seems to have been some confusion about the future of RDi for SOA and the Power i's all-important compilers, both Little and Ireland confirm that RDi for SOA is not being replaced. The only change is that RDp replaces RDi in the bundle.

Little says: "RDi SOA is a software bundle that meets a key market demand for IBM i development organisations. A lot of IBM i shops are not only looking to adopt the modern development tools, but also looking for ways to leverage their existing business applications in new ways. RDi SOA provides a single solution that meets both of these requirements. RDi SOA will continue to bundle Rational Developer for i, but existing users with current software maintenance and new users will be entitled to Rational Developer for Power Systems Software to replace the bundled Rational Developer for i version.

As for the compilers, Little says: "IBM did not announce anything for the compilers. Announcements related to the IBM i RPG and Cobol compilers are typically done when new versions of the IBM i operating system are announced."

The new Rational tools run on V5R4 and higher and Ireland explains that if you have purchased RDi, RDi SOA or RTCi on Passport Advantage (PA) and have current maintenance, then your PA records will be automatically updated via download on the PA website. If you originally ordered via IBM's STG then you will need to place an "FOC order" for 5733 RDp Feature 0004.

Rational's latest transformation affects almost all i shops in the UK, says Ireland, as RPG and Cobol compilers and ADTS are part of the Rational toolset. However, he concedes that the percentage of UK i users actively deploying the Eclipse-based development tools is small "but growing".

"Most customers are reviewing this when moving to version 6.1 as there is a change in licensing of ADTS and compilers," he says. "With V7.1 coming out this year, I would expect to see a much greater uptake as the gap between the capability of ADTS versus compilers and OS widens."

IBM refuses to give out figures on the number of UK i shops running its development tools. Little says: "I can confirm that over the past two years we have seen a significant uptake of the Rational tools for IBM i both within the UK and worldwide. IBM i organisations are seeing the value of the tools as a way to get the best productivity from their development teams and as they extend and leverage their existing applications in new and innovative ways."

Little is in no doubt that the changes are a good thing and that they will improve developer and team productivity and application quality. He says: "With these new offerings, IBM Rational has created a collaborative software development environment that meets the increasing transactional demands on Power Systems users on IBM i. These modern tools support improved collaboration and information sharing and empower newer IT staff, who may be unfamiliar with IBM i green screen tooling. Rational tools for Power Systems can empower IT staff to participate in multiplatform projects while reducing risks and delivering a quick ROI."