Over the past year, we have invested heavily in ActiveVOS to turn it into the best BPMS for the development team. Why did we become a BPMS? Why not just remain a BPEL-based execution engine? After all, we have the best standards-based process execution engine on the planet. People loved it. And there’s clearly a need for execution engines.
The answer is that we have the skills and capabilities to do more for developers, business analysts and end users. Doing more means creating a complete, integrated, affordable and open BPM system that allows businesses to create the next generation of process applications. And while there are plenty of other BPMSs, we knew we could innovate in ways that speak directly and uniquely to the extended development team. (Just wait until you see what’s in ActiveVOS 7.0, slated for release in September. We think it’s going to blow you away.)
We also know that when application development technology is about to cycle to the “next thing,” it’s a big deal. It can mean upheaval. Developers are sometimes forced to leave their comfort zones, end users begin demanding more because they’ve heard about the next wave and the business expects newer technology to cost less and do more.
Everyone knows about the side-effects of changing technology. But what most people can’t tell you is when, exactly, change is about to happen. We can all look in the rear-view mirror and see when client-server replaced mainframe app dev. But what do you see right now out the front window of your car? Can you tell what’s next? Do you see it way far in the distance?
It’s a crucial question for us, because being a startup means we must out-innovate our competitors. We need to see what’s on the road because our competitors claim to own the road you are looking at through the front window of the car. So, we have to innovate in ways that minimize disruption and which don’t leave anyone behind.
What do we see when we look down that road? We’re convinced that business process management is the next technology cycle in application development. And that it’s happening now.
That’s why we were so gratified to read Forrester’s new TechRadar on BPMS (subscription to Forrester Research is required to read more than the abstract linked to here). Forrester’s report clearly documents that the shift to BPMS has begun. If you obtain the report, you will see that large percentages of companies that Forrester talked to are now actively using BPMS or thinking about how to begin. As Forrester says in the abstract, “Enterprises face increased demands for improvements in business agility; BPM tools can remove many of the barriers to success.”
We are excited that the BPM market has begun to accelerate. And we are also pleased to be acknowledged by Forrester’s analysts to be in that marketplace. Our message to the development and business analyst community echoes Forrester’s: BPMS is a huge opportunity to suceed at improving your business operations. We can recommend three things to you. Learn about BPMS (ideally, using ActiveVOS and our extensive, free educational materials in a free, supported trial). Implement now on a project basis to gain experience. And, think very carefully about the costs of staying behind.
