Enterprise application integration developer Tibco Software Inc. will announce next week the Web services enablement of its business process management platform.
The latest iteration of Tibco BPM, version 2.0, is a culmination of the companys initiative to Web services-enable its entire suite of products, from its EAI and business-to-business integration platforms to its portal and now business process management offerings.
Tibco BPM is a core component of the companys ActiveEnterprise software line that enables the exchange of documents over the Internet, as well as the management of partner interactions.
There are several new aspects to BPM 2.0. First, companies will have the ability to publish processes as a Web service and thereby share services with others. At the same time, the software can expose different aspects of a process for other applications to take advantage of as a Web service.
BPM 2.0 also allows businesses to integrate Web services into processes that span platforms and organizations – and requires the input of both applications and people.
A new graphical user interface lets business users – as opposed to strictly IT developers – create, modify and monitor business processes.
The upgrade will be released as a customer beta program in June, with an official release date slated for later in the year to coincide with the companys next ActiveEnterprise release.
Web services integration and management is a key theme this week at Tibcos Strategic Directions 2002 user conference in San Francisco.
However, as an enterprise integration software maker, Tibco is not alone on the Web services enablement front. Competitors webMethods Inc. and SeeBeyond Technology Corp. have each announced Web services platforms.