MANILA, Philippines -- Software-as-a-service (SaaS) firm Morph Labs is offering a Java version of its Web-based platform for developers, a service the company says puts it ahead of Google.

Morph recently partnered with US firm Webtide, integrating the latter's Jetty Java web server into its platform. This enables developers to create and eventually offer applications to end-users via the SaaS model, according to Morph.

Using this platform, which is offered as a subscription service, developers can use available resources online without having to invest in their own delivery infrastructure.

Morph Labs CEO David Abramowski cited a good market among Java developers looking for a platform that supports Ruby on Rails, a popular program for creating Web-based applications.

"By adding Java support (to the Morph Application Platform) we are ahead of Google's App Engine, which only lets developers write web applications in Python," said Abramowski. Python is another open-source application tool.

Webtide, meanwhile, will extend support for developers and end-users looking to migrate or create new Java applications using Morph's service.

Morph announced the partnership at the JavaOne conference in San Francisco. Earlier this year, the Cebu-based company introduced Morph AppSpace, a "platform-as-a-service" targeting open-source application developers.

Morph was founded by noted Filipino IT entrepreneur Winston Damarillo who is based in Silicon Valley in the United States.