Kal Tire Deploys FuseSource’s Open Source Integration and Messaging Software

SOURCE:  FuseSource

BEDFORD, Mass. – October 4, 2011 – FuseSource Corp., experts in open source integration and messaging, today announced that Kal Tire, North America’s largest commercial tire retailer with operations in 17 countries, is using the company’s enterprise-class distributions of the Apache Camel and Apache CXF projects. Kal Tire uses the Fuse Mediation Router® and Fuse Services Framework® products to integrate more than 230 stores with its retread facilities, warehouses and industrial locations. Kal Tire joins the many retail organizations that use FuseSource™ solutions, including three of the five largest retailers in the United States.

“Our commitment to deliver true service to our customers defines Kal Tire and requires that we have easy, timely access to accurate information at all our locations,” said Clifford Smith, CIO at Kal Tire. “We wanted technology that enabled our locations to share inventory and other types of information efficiently and cost effectively with one another. Open source integration and messaging proved to be the right solution.”

Kal Tire’s operational systems are distributed across their nationwide store and warehouse network. FuseSource was leveraged to eliminate the hours-long, batch-based synchronization process previously required to exchange information between these locations – thus enabling sales and customer service representatives to see in real-time if a product is in stock and available.

Kal Tire deployed the Fuse Mediation Router, a commercial version of the Apache Camel project that enables enterprises to easily integrate services, applications and transport protocols using enterprise integration patterns. The ability to connect services by utilizing the Domain Specific Language and mediation components reduced development time and eliminated the need to write thousands of lines of code while integrating Kal Tire’s locations and relevant applications. The Fuse Services Framework product was used to transform the ERP system into a service – essentially turning it into an end point on any integration route.

Today, Kal Tire’s infrastructure and the FuseSource distributions at its core process more than 12 million messages each day on average and more than 20 million messages at peak times. These include transactions from point-of-sale to inventory.

“The world’s most successful retailers like Kal Tire show that technology can be cost effective and at the same time meet and exceed the demand for nearly instantaneous access to information companies face today,” said Paul Harsha, vice president of engineering at FuseSource. “You can’t address the demand for fast access to information without integration and messaging and you can’t put such platforms in place cost effectively without open source. Innovators like Kal Tire offer a glimpse at the enterprise infrastructure of tomorrow – systems that get the job done without breaking the bank.”

FuseSource provides subscriptions to commercial and certified versions of Apache Software Foundation integration and messaging projects. These certified enterprise distributions include Fuse ESB® (based on Apache ServiceMix), Fuse Mediation Router® (based on Apache Camel), Fuse Message Broker® (based on Apache ActiveMQ), and Fuse Services Framework® (based on Apache CXF).

About FuseSource

Backed by the leaders and founders of several key Apache Software Foundation projects, FuseSource Corp. is the expert in open source integration and messaging. The company is solely focused on providing enterprise-ready integration and messaging software combined with the tools, training and “expertise”/enterprise-support/consulting sought by organizations implementing and managing integration projects such as SOA, cloud environments and others. Hundreds of large enterprises worldwide rely on FuseSource solutions to deploy and manage integration and messaging infrastructure at a lower total cost of ownership than traditional commercial solutions. FuseSource is a wholly owned subsidiary of Progress Software Corporation and can be found on the web at fusesource.com.

FuseSource, Fuse, Fuse ESB, Fuse Message Broker, and Fuse Mediation Router are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the United States and other countries. Any other names contained herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.