Reactivity Inc. on Monday unveiled three appliances for configuring a network for multiple types of XML data, a move that reflects a growing demand for hardware to solve bottlenecks in distributed computing systems based on a service-oriented architecture.

Reactivity's XML Enabled Networking appliances automate the process of configuring a network that carries XML data originating from different sources. The new products target the problem of securing, optimizing and managing all such traffic,

The hardware significantly reduces the time for deploying a SOA through their ability to auto-discover application servers and Web services registries, such as those from Systinet, Microsoft, Flashline and LogicLibrary, officials with the Belmont, Calif., company said.

The appliances inspect and import all Web Services Description Languages (WSDLs), assign default policies and redirect client connections through the hardware, the company said. The process takes far less time than traditional manual approaches.

The product family includes the XML Security Gateway, the Secure XML Router and the XML Accelerator. The products are available on platforms that can process from about 1,500 transactions a second to more than 5,000 transactions a section, Reactivity said.

Ron Schmelzer, analyst for ZapThink LLC, said appliances to help the performance and security of XML data traffic has gained traction in the market since IBM's acquisition last October of Datapower, which is the leader in the appliance market, according to ZapThink.

Reactivity has built "compelling" products for organizations that need a mechanism for automating the configuration of a system for different data types, Schmelzer said. While the company's technology raises the bar for other vendors in the space, if demand continues to grow, then it's likely other appliance vendors will follow suit, especially IBM. The latter company recently announced data handling capabilities in the Datapower XI50 appliance.

"So, (Reactivity) has interesting stuff that points at the continued evolution of the space, but nothing that can't be easily reproduced by competitors if the market starts to demand that," Schmelzer said.

Pricing for Reactivity appliances start at $15,000.