In discussions about which programming language, if any, could succeed Java in the enterprise, Scala comes up a lot. Scala is a highly scalable programming language with support for multicore architectures that uses the Java Virtual Machine. It’s perhaps best known for being used at Twitter to replace some of the company’s Ruby code.
Scala was created by Martin Odersky in 2003. Today Odersky is launching Typesafe, a new company dedicated to providing enterprise support for the language. Typesafe is also providing a stack of open source Scala tools, including middleware, called Typesafe Stack.
Typesafe Stack includes the most recent release of the Scala language, Akka Middleware and developer tools. Akka was created by Jonas Bonér, who co-founded Typesafe with Odersky. The Scala IDE for Eclipse 2.0 is part of the stack, and has been rebuilt by Typesafe. The stack also includes Simple Build Tool, a Maven-compatible build tool written in Scala.
Other than Web startups like Twitter, Foursquare and LinkedIn, Scala is already in use by a number of enterprises. According to Odersky, Scala is being used by UBS for risk management systems, by Onyx Government Systems for data modeling and by NASA uses for analysis of mission logs. Odersky says many major banks use Scala, but he can’t disclose the names. Also, we’ve covered The Guardian’s use of Scala in the past.
Typesafe closed $3 million in Series A funding from Greylock Partners.
