This is a big story. WebSphere is the "flagship" "[application server]" [http://www-4.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/] from [COMPANY: IBM]. What that means in the year 2001 is a Web server, with a method for active content, plus convenience functions for database access, and at least lip service to load-leveling, security, and so on. Because it's IBM, WebSphere uses Java for as much as possible, and prefixes all descriptions with "e-commerce". The technical basis is * the IBM version of [Apache], * [DB2], and * WebSphere proper, which wraps the others. As one too-wise correspondent justly noted, "You need to be a DBA, Apache Administrator and a JAVA guru to do a clean install." WebSphere documentation [http://www-4.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/infocenter.html] is readable--with a fast connection and Internet Explorer with Java enabled. Tcl enters through [WSCP]. [[Explain Tcl connection and controversy.]] ---- Other WebSphere acronyms of possible pertinence: * WAS: WebSphere Application Server [http://www-4.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/] (a no-charge version is available as WAS 4.0 Advanced Edition Single Server) * WCS: WebSphere Commerce Suite * WES: WebSphere Enterprise Suite * WPS: WebSphere Portal Server