In addition, WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment addresses the needs of highly available, high volume environments with the inclusion of sophisticated load balancing, caching and centralized security capabilities with Edge Components.

We can very well assume that with this greater capability planned for IBM's WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment offering, IBM is positioning Network Deployment as the next generation application server and the universal foundation for enterprises.

Missing pieces for On Demand infrastructure
The following is how IBM CEO Sam Palmisano first described IBM's definition and vision for "On Demand business":

An On Demand business is an enterprise whose business processes -- integrated end-to-end across the company and with key partners, suppliers and customers -- can respond with speed to any customer demand, market opportunity or external threat.

As per IBM's focus on On Demand infrastructure, the features outlined below are missing in WebSphere Base and Network Deployment products.

Virtualization
Virtualization offers a way to help consolidate a large number of individual, small resources into one larger group, easing manageability and more efficiently using system resources by allowing them to be prioritized and allocated to the workloads needing them most at any given point in time

Autonomic Provisioning
Autonomic Provisioning is the automated resource management solution that provides the ability to manage the IT environment in real time, according to defined business policies, to achieve the desired business goals.

Infrastructure Orchestration and Optimization
This feature senses, triggers and responds according to business goals and ensures the most productive utilization of the IT infrastructure.

High Performance Computing
This allows for quick application recoveries by detecting application level failures and rapidly dispatching the services to another member of the cluster to take over for the failing service.