"We are pleased to have this new proposal from Innoopract. It ist a great example for the technical innovation that is occurring in the Eclipse community."
Mike Milinkovich, Eclipse Foundation's Executive Director about Rich AJAX Plattform..
Eclipse as an Application Platform
Eclipse Provides Unprecedented Modularization
"We needed to know that we could recover in a hurry if an update went wrong. Having applications down for any amount of time on the trading floor is not an option." JP Morgan about Eclipse
Eclipse is a tooling platform as well as an extendable platform for enterprise applications. The platform enables the creation of AJAX applications and Rich Clients in Java. Eclipse as a platform can serve to create independent applications with native performance. Rich Clients developed with Eclipse possess built-in update functionality. The Eclipse Smart Management allows to easily distribute and update workplaces and applications - any sized installation can get maintained and serviced. In addition, all the advantages of the component-based approach, in particular decreased production costs, can be used to create applications.
Eclipse and Traditional Platforms
In Eclipse, "everything is a plug-in", hence extendable. The core of Eclipse is a very slim runtime (microkernel), providing flexible extension points. Plug-ins get attached on top of this runtime providing the desired functionality. In contrast, the classical approach is a thick, monolithic platform supplemented with add-ons through some predefined extension mechanisms. 
This graphic demonstrates the advantages of the plug-in model.
The Eclipse Rich Client Platform
Eclipse RCP is a platform for development and deployment of Rich-Client applications. It contains Equinox, a component-framework based on the OSGi standard, and an integrated update mechanism for the deployment of desktop applications through one centralized server. RCP, like any Eclipse GUI application, can be run on different operating systems. For this reason Eclipse is one of the best suited platforms for developing desktop applications.
RAP as the Basis for Web 2.0 Applications
Innoopract introduced the Rich AJAX Platform (RAP) project at eclipse.org and has the project lead. RAP possesses an architecture closely aligned to the Rich Client platform. RAP allow companies to develop desktop applications and web applications using the same programming model. The platform assures operating system and browser independence and the option to generate AJAX applications with no extra effort.
Eclipse Platform Examples
US Army - "Equinox allows us to apply core functionality to virtually any sort of problem that involves reading sensor data. That makes the US Army more agile and protects the tax payer's investment."
NASA - "The key to JPL's use of Eclipse is all about focusing on their strengths and taking advantage of a community of collaboration. A lot of thought has been put into how RCP applications look and behave, and the Maestro Team's customers reap the benefits of that effort."
Adobe - "New technology framework initiatives come and go, but the commitment of key players to Eclipse, as well as the enthusiasm of the developer community told us that it is here to stay."
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