IBM Rational software helps automate, integrate, and govern the core business process of software development and systems delivery.
Overview
The IBM Rational Software Delivery Platform offers an array of products as an open, modular, and proven solution that spans the entire lifecycle of planning, developing, testing, and delivering software applications and systems. The platform also includes best practices and tools to help you formalize the methods and standardize the process for doing this work.
As a result of the IBM acquisition of Telelogic, all Telelogic products are now part of the Rational software portfolio, further expanding range of application development offerings.
We have an array of resources to help you learn about the Rational (and Telelogic) products, courseware and teaching tools to help you bring the concepts into the classroom, plus software that you can make available to your students for labs, workshops, and team projects.
Learn the basics
Select the Rational product that fits your teaching needs and explore our resources to learn about this product. Be sure to return to the Academic Initiative site to download full-version Rational software and courseware at no cost.
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For basic application development: Rational Application Developer
Rational Application Developer helps Java developers rapidly design, develop, assemble, test, profile and deploy high quality Java/J2EE, Portal, Web/Web 2.0, Web services and SOA applications.
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For managing application or system requirements: Rational Requirements Composer
Rational Requirements Composer is a collaborative requirements definition solution that provides textual and visual techniques to elicit and elaborate requirements that align business and information technology organizations through better requirements.
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For architecture design and model-driven development: Rational Software Architect
Rational Software Architect with support for UML 2.0 allows you to capture and communicate all aspects of an application architecture using a standard notation that is recognized across all of IT.
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For test and quality management: Rational Quality Manager
Rational Quality Manager is a web-based centralized test management product that provides a collaborative and customizable solution for test planning, workflow control, tracking and metrics reporting.
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For software development process and best practices: Rational Method Composer
Rational Method Composer enables you to manage, author, evolve, measure and deploy effective processes tailored to your project needs with an industry-leading Eclipse-based tool. It includes the IBM Rational Unified Process process framework, with best practices adopted in thousands of projects worldwide and taught as part of the curricula in hundreds of universities.
Explore further
Explore all the Rational resources for advanced topics and applications, such as:
- Rational Team Concert for collaborative software delivery
- Rational Developer for i and z for applications that run on midrange, mainframe and large enterprise systems
- Web 2.0 development with Rational tools
Get trained
Take advantage of our no-charge training opportunites to learn about Rational products and prepare yourself to use them in your classrooms and labs.
- Virtual Innovation Center: Academic Initiative members have access to over 800 professionally developed courses on all IBM products and technologies, 24/7, at the Virtual Innovation Center (VIC). You can take the courses online while connected, or download them and take them when you are off-line.
- IBM Education Assistant: The IBM Education Assistant is a collection of multimedia educational modules that can help you gain a better understanding of IBM products and use them more effectively.
- On demand demos: These quick product walk-throughs range from installation and setup demos for beginners, to advanced functionality for experienced developers.
- developerWorks Live! briefings: developerWorks Live! briefings are worldwide, always free, and cover the latest topics related to IBM software and technologies. Find briefings in your area.
Sandbox trial environments
Enterprise Modernization Sandboxes enable you to experience and evaluate the solutions for the System z and IBM i platforms
through hands-on participation, guided walk-throughs and usage of live, running systems. Rational products are included
as part of the Team exercises. You and your students can "learn through play" about Rational products in
enterprise environments without having to download and install the software.
Certification opportunities
- Academic Initiative training & certification discounts: Academic Initiative members can request a 50% discount for themselves and their students on some IBM Professional Certification tests at Thompson Prometric Centers.
- All IBM WebSphere training and certification: IBM offers many training and certification resources at a fee. Explore our other training and certification opportunities.

