3.2. Why J2EE Technology?

The decision to redeploy jcrew.com using a multitier architecture and server-side Java technologies was based on the need for a highly scalable, extensible, and flexible infrastructure. J.Crew reviewed about a half-dozen proposed solutions from various vendors before deciding on the architecture proposed by the combined team of Sun Professional Services, Fort Point Partners, and ATG. Fort Point Partners, an e-integrator with consultants, developers, and programmers, collaborates with Sun to deploy e-commerce solutions for the retail, manufacturing, and financial services sectors. ATG is a leading provider of Java technology–based e-business solutions for large enterprises. Its flagship offering, ATG Dynamo, is highly regarded as a robust solution for enterprise-scale e-business applications.

J.Crew needed an infrastructure that could take its Web site to the next level in e-commerce—namely, a more personalized presentation of the catalog, enhanced scalability as more and more customers purchased clothes online, and the flexibility to modify, add to, or integrate the site's functionality. A services-driven architectural assessment performed by Sun Professional Services showed that separation of the application into three tiers—presentation tier, business logic tier, and database tier—would dramatically increase the ability of the jcrew.com site to handle concurrent user sessions. In addition, the granular, object-oriented design of Java technology-based applications provided a flexible environment for developing complex functionality. Finally, the interoperability of Java components could easily be used in conjunction with nearly all of today's e-business technologies—freeing J.Crew from being locked to one vendor for future development.

Much of the Java technology used to implement the J.Crew Web site became the underpinnings of the J2EE platform. At the time, J2EE technology and the Java language itself were in limited use for server-side, enterprise-scale applications. The Java programming language was primarily used for the development of portable desktop applications. Its “Write Once, Run Anywhere” capabilities were revolutionizing a market typically dominated by the Microsoft Windows operating system.

J.Crew was one of the first deployments of J2EE technology, breaking new ground in J2EE evolution. The success that J.Crew is realizing now, along with lessons learned at the engagement, have helped push J2EE technology into the mainstream market.

“J.Crew showed the IT world how powerful Java technologies can be for enterprise-scale, server-side applications,” says Dao Ren, technical manager and chief architect for the jcrew.com project, Sun Professional Services. “The widespread adoption of the J2EE framework is a very important step toward creating best practices in application development. The interoperability of the technology and the commonality of the APIs allow seamless communication among any applications, running on any platforms. This decreases the amount of time and the cost needed to integrate different application components, as well as to meld applications to the systems of partners, suppliers, and customers.”