New business process modeling and management software from InterActive Objects Inc., Q-Link Technologies Inc. and WebMethods Inc. should help companies better configure and extend their business processes.
A little-known company in the integration space, Interactive Objects, will announce on Monday the next generation of its ArcStyler platform that, starting from the business process layer, allows companies to develop model-driven architectures to govern their IT systems.
ArcStyler 3.0 provides a way for system architects to model the integration of business processes and applications using a malleable architecture. In other words, when low-level code changes occur with an over-riding architectural model based on business processes, new code can be generated from the model—and the ArcStyler software—thereby negating the need to go in at the application level and redo old work.
ArcStyler complies with the Object Management Groups Model Driven Architecture, the groups standard for software development.
The process for building the MDA involves creating a business process model using an open, standardized language. This model is then refined in several automated transformation steps by the technical details for the implementation platform. The results are separated, precise models at various levels of abstraction.
Finally, the code and infrastructure for the entire system, including Web clients and Services, deployment, and test infrastructure are automatically generated on the basis the platform-specific models.
ArcStyler supports the transformation steps with its MDA-Automatic-Cartridges that contain technological details.
ArcStyler 3.0 features a new module, the MDA Enabler that parses existing Java sources and EDB archives to automatically generate the corresponding UML model elements.
It also comes with new and extended MDA-cartridges that generate code and infrastructure for leading Java Application Servers from BEA Systems Inc., IBM, IONA Technologies PLC and Borland Software Corp.
A standard MDA-Cartridge for the .Net infrastructure will ship soon, officials said.
Business process management software maker Q-Link Technologies will announce on Monday partnerships that will help companies building business process applications.
The first partnership is with iWay Software, an Information Builders Company, which provides more than 200 adapters to software applications. The partnership will enable Q-Link users to integrate composite applications back into their existing enterprise systems.
The Q-Link platform interacts with iWay connectors through a component-based workflow engine powered by Q-Link Process Action Components, or Q-Pacs.
Q-Pacs provide the building blocks for modular process design by representing business process actions as a reusable software component.
The two companies will deliver a suite of Q-Packs that enable the iWay connectors to be accessed at any step of a business process, officials said.
Q-Link and UnBound Technologies will announce a technology partnership. UnBound provides a platform for Instant Messaging and mobile communications.
The partnership will enable users to extend Q-Links composite applications forward to mobile and wireless devices.
At the same time, enterprise application integration software maker WebMethods will announce its namesake Manager tool. An add-on to its integration platform, Manager will allow customers to monitor and glean the operational health of business processes.
Manager has three major components: an OMI specification that is designed by WebMethods and others to standardize the reporting of the health of business processes, a Manager Server that goes out and acquires information from various business processes and reports on their status using a publish and describe model, and a that console allows users to set alerts regarding business processes.