Transcript Four J`s Development Tools Return to Simplicity

Return to Simplicity
Business Applications
High Tech without High Cost
Agenda
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Company Overview
Business Problem
Four J’s Solution
Business Benefits
Product Strategy & Vision
Conclusion
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Global Presence
Sequential, Profitable Growth
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Founded 1995, privately held
Global presence
• European HQ in Paris
• North American HQ in Dallas
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3,000,000 Users
Worldwide reseller
agreement with IBM
5,000 Developers
1,000 VARs
$10m Revenue
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
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Select Customers and Partners
End Users
Retail
VARs
Distribution
Municipal
Retail
Government
CRM
ISSSTE
Peace Software
Media
Spanish Air Force
Financial
Finance
FDS
Supply Chain
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Agenda
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Company Overview
Business Problem
Four J’s Solution
Business Benefits
Product Strategy & Vision
Conclusion
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Business Applications …
Are Not About Technology
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Businesses use applications for two
primary reasons
• To lower the cost of operations (and services)
• To enable operations (and services)
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Business Applications must be measured
on ROI
• Investment: What is the total lifecycle cost?
• Return: How effectively does the software
• Improve operational efficiency?
• Improve market share and revenue?
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Legacy Bound
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Today’s business application using state-of-the-art
technology is tomorrow’s legacy application
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Version 1 – started with dumb terminals
Version 2 – rewrote for Windows
Version 2.5 – rewrote for HTML
Version 3+ – rewrite for Java, e-commerce, m-commerce…
ROI comes from business
functionality, not infrastructure
100%
ROI
Application
0%
Infrastructure
Business Logic
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Focused on Tech: Expensive & Risky!
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Constant investment in technology
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People, software, development
Slows your time to market
Distracts you from doing things that add value
Is expensive!
Detracts from focus on business value –
constantly dealing with
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Application Portability
Application Performance
Application Complexity
Application Programmer Availability
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Business Applications …
Are about Business Features
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You are a large VAR
• Provider of call center software to Fortune 500 companies
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Key corporate goal
• Own the outsourced telemarketing firms that target retail
companies
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Market leader opportunity
• Enable these centers to offer low cost, rapid integration with
their customer’s retail inventory and ordering systems
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Problem
• Two of your strategic targets are making 5 year vendor
commitments within the next six months
How quickly can you develop this capability,
and how much will it cost?
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4GLs Lead the Market for Web
Application Development
Worldwide Web Application Design & Construction Tools Revenue ($M)
2003
2000-2003
CAGR %
2000
2001
2002
4GLs
$557
$995
$1574 $2394
62.6%
3GLs
$638
$874
$1125
$1405
30.1%
Web professional
development tools
$634
$839
$1034 $1225
24.6%
Software components
$225
$356
$571
52.8%
$803
Source: IDC, 2001
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Agenda
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Company Overview
Business Problem
Four J’s Solution
Business Benefits
Product Strategy & Vision
Conclusion
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Intelligent Business
Application Infrastructure
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Abstract interface – single source code stream automatically
supports multiple client platforms
• Intelligent creation of interfaces on Windows, HTML, Java, X11,
PDA/mobile, ASCII
• No investment, development, or lock-in to client-side technologies
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Single source code stream supports multiple databases
• Open Database Interface supports DB2, Informix, Oracle, SQL Server…
• Multiple, simultaneous, native, high-performance access
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Thin client, three-tier architecture
• Automatic management and optimization of client/server communications
• High performance server – without special client-server skills
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Web Services support without special infrastructure skills
Keeping development effort focused on business logic, not
infrastructure or deployment issues
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BDS -- Insulating Business Logic
from Technology Infrastructure
ASCII
Windows
X11
Java
HTML
HTML
WML
Web
Services
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Internet Security
Application
Server
Firewall allows
TCP/IP connection to
Application Server
from Web Server
Firewall
Web
Server
Public zone
Database
Server
Firewall zone
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DMZ
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Security supported via firewalls and/or SSH, SSL, HTTPS, TCP/IP
tunneling, etc
Only one trustable channel through firewall
No direct connection from Internet to Application or Database Server
Secured zone
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Java/HTML Client
Firewall allows TCP/IP
connection to Web
Server HTTP port
from public network
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Internet Security
Application
Server
Firewall disallows
TCP/IP connection to
Application Server
from public network
Firewall
Public zone
Database
Server
Firewall zone
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Java/HTML Client
DMZ
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Security supported via firewalls and/or SSH, SSL, HTTPS, TCP/IP
tunneling, etc
Only one trustable channel through firewall
No direct connection from Internet to Application or Database Server
Secured zone
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Web
Server
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BDS in Action…
Agenda
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Company Overview
Business Problem
Four J’s Solution
Business Benefits
Product Strategy & Vision
Conclusion
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Business Benefits
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Cost Reduction & Time to Market
• Enable the rapid development, deployment,
and evolution of Business Applications
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High Tech without High Cost
• Enable full exploitation of state-of-the-art
infrastructure, without investment in special
skills or development
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Future Proof – not Legacy Bound!
• Insulate the investment in business
applications from waves of technology
innovation
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Cost Reduction & Time to Market
“Infocell is pushing the envelope in terms of wireless applications.
Four J's dramatically improved our time-to-market, giving us the
competitive edge we enjoy today.”
-- Michael O’Connor, Technical Director, Infocell
“We’re able to offer a sophisticated Java application, utilizing highly
visual third party applets to extend our functionality, without heavy
investment in Java skills or development.”
-- Eddie Hillard, President and CEO, Financial Data Systems
“Four J’s allows us to seamlessly track and leverage evolving
technologies, without investment in expensive staff or development,
or compromising our application’s complex business logic.”
-- Jim Noble, President and CEO, Noble Systems
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Agenda
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Company Overview
Business Problem
Four J’s Solution
Business Benefits
Product Strategy & Vision
Conclusion
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Intelligent Business Application
Infrastructure -- Open to Change
Four J’s
Closed
I4GL
Informix
Windows
1998
I4GL + BDL
Informix, DB2,
Oracle, Sybase,
SQL Server
Windows,
HTML, X11
2000
Open
I4GL + BDL
Informix, DB2,
Oracle, Sybase,
SQL Server
Windows,
HTML, X11,
Java, WML
Web Services
2002
I4GL + BDL + OOP
Informix, DB2,
Oracle, Sybase,
SQL Server
Windows,
HTML, Java,
X11, WML, XML
Web Services,
App Servers
2003
*BDL – Four J’s Business Development Language
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Genero Architecture
Business Logic
Runtime UID
Transformations
XML
Generic
Data Centric
Application
User
Metadata
UID
Interaction
Definition (UID)
Client specific UID
transformations
Client layout, user
interaction & server
communications
Java
Windows
Dynamic UID (XML)
HTML
Business UID
Transformations
TTY
Map generic interaction to
client specific widgets and
properties
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Genero Architecture
Business Logic
Runtime UID
Transformations
Generic
Application User
Interaction
Definition (UID)
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Dynamic UID (XML)
Business UID
Transformations
Generic application UID
• XML-based abstract definition of user
interaction for the application
• Client independent, general formatting
• Data, label formatting, grouping, ordering
• Automatic generation from .per files
Java
Windows
HTML
TTY
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Genero Architecture
Business Logic
Runtime UID
Transformations
Generic
Application User
Interaction
Definition (UID)
Dynamic UID (XML)
Business UID
Transformations
Java
Windows
HTML
TTY
Change the behavior of
the app depending on
interaction with the user
e.g. premium customer
has extra fields
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Genero Architecture
Business Logic
Runtime UID
Transformations
Generic
Application User
Interaction
Definition (UID)
Dynamic UID (XML)
Business UID
Transformations
Change the behavior of
the app depending on
interaction with the user
e.g. premium customer
has extra fields
Java
Windows
HTML
TTY
Consistent look&feel,
e.g. currency, negative
values in red; business
rules, login to display
secure data, or can’t see
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Genero Summary
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Full user interface abstraction
• Separate business logic from presentation logic
• UI programmers create the UI, business
programmers create the business logic
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Generic user interfaces across all clients
• Ensure consistency in L&F and business rules
• Easy to implement global style changes
• No more hand crafted clients
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Dynamic, personalized UI interaction
• Change app behavior depending on user
interaction
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Genero in Action…
Intelligent Business
Application Infrastructure
“Four J’s mission is to provide an intelligent
infrastructure for business applications that excels in
its openness, flexibility and performance, taking full
advantage of new technologies while preserving
business functionality.”
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Return to Simplicity
Business Applications
High Tech without High Cost