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Software developers have used container technology for some time now, but why is Docker so darn popular?

With Docker, a developer can use a command to build everything needed to run an application into a single package. Docker’s developers built its API to fit seamlessly into most development and deployment workflows.

Remember when it was a pain to move an application from one cloud environment to the next? This is no longer the case with Docker. Until recently a developer would write an application and then have to cobble together the runtime, database and operating system.

Now with Docker, a developer can package an application in a standard image and transfer it to virtually any server anywhere, whether a physical server in your company’s private cloud or an off-premises, virtual cloud such as Bluemix. With Docker, the developer no longer needs to know in advance where their application will end up running.

IBM developed an open integration model with Docker and the open-source Docker community. By combining IBM Java, Docker and WebSphere Application Server Liberty, a developer can now take advantage of faster startup time, half the memory usage, and dramatically faster input/output when compared to a traditional virtual server.

WebSphere Application Server Liberty is lightweight and designed for cloud. It makes it easier to build and deploy any kind of enterprise Java application on the public or private cloud. You can incorporate web, mobile, social, big data or any other services needed to innovate and move your business forward into the future.

You don’t have to worry about which cloud environment on which your application will be deployed. With Docker, you can package your application into a container with one command and ship it anywhere. This means much less effort and troubleshooting for your development team.

To learn more about how you can increase productivity with WebSphere Liberty, click here, or to see a comparison of costs between WebSphere Application Server Liberty and open source tools, click here.