OpenAjax hasn't spent much time chasing its wayward members, since it's too busy welcoming new ones. Some 60 organizations have formally joined the group, and about half send representatives to the consortium's planning meetings. The next strategy gathering is scheduled for March in New York, to be held after the AJAXWorld Conference & Expo.
"A big theme for 2007 will be figuring out a strategy, rolling it out and having industry adoption," said Jon Ferraiolo, an IBM Web architect who has been heavily involved in OpenAjax's administration.
OpenAjax participants say one of the group's main accomplishments is simply its existence. By bringing major vendors together to commit to AJAX and discuss its future, OpenAjax helps legitimize AJAX as a major force in Web development, Laszlo Systems Chief Marketing Officer Kent Libby said.
"The biggest challenge is having people aware of the possibility that AJAX presents, then translating that awareness to adoption," Libby said. "I think the alliance can do even more on education and awareness." Laszlo Systems, which makes an open-source platform for delivering Web applications, has been an OpenAjax member since the group's creation.
BEA's Cobb echoed the view that OpenAjax plays an essential role in providing the hub connecting those interested in furthering AJAX. "This seems to be the center of gravity for AJAX at the moment," he said. "It's worth staying involved and seeing how it goes."
