Without a doubt, many of our customers see significant benefits when they automate their end user tasks. Some customers have seen over $25m a year in time savings in their first automated solution rolled out to their users. This stands to reason though. Given the incredible manual steps needed to be undertaken by users to say, cancel a credit card, open a new account, initiate a wire transfer, open a new mortgage (the list goes on). Sometimes we see hundreds of manual steps across multiple applications and the user spends more time at the keyboard figuring out the next step than they do helping the customer get more from their organization.
Simple logic says, if you can automate these workflows, which for years have been mostly manual, the benefits are huge. Time saving, reduced training time, elimination of errors, happier customers, more up-sell opportunity and all the related "stuff".
But user applications up until now lack the ability to be automated. Even new web applications and portals lack the ability to take data out of or into other systems without heavy IT investment up front. Multiply that by the fact they are probably still running some mainframe, client server and java apps as well and it is easy to see why most users are manual users.
OpenSpan has really changed that. We have a vast number of users, now running automated workflows in large and small mission critical environments. Each day, I am constantly amazed by the types of use cases our users are using us for. There is now almost no limit to what end user tasks can be automated. Cool.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
UI in the Cloud
How do you differentiate as to what is a cloud application and what is a client server application (thin client or fat client). Does it really matter?
There are so many plug ins for the browsers now, along with so many browser incompatibilities I feel nothing much has really changed. You could argue, and I will, browsers are just fat clients. Enterprises have to do so much QA before rolling any web app into production, it really is just a client server app in all sense of the word(s). Sure, the user perceives the application runs in the browser and nothing is installed on the client but that's really a mirage. Under the covers, all sorts of technology is loaded on demand to run client side. And all the browser vendors want to win the browser war...and break the standards - and we know how long this war will go on !
Not only that, but we are YET AGAIN confusing the users with so many different types of web applications that pretty much all behave differently in terms of UI consistency. Even the same applications behave differently in different browsers and the UI for each is pretty much all over the place. My wife is confused as to when and when not to hit backspace (you can lose everything you typed in many web apps if you are not careful), she can drag and drop in GMAIL now but in no other web app she uses but that doesn't stop her trying and getting tied in knots. UI standards are out the window now! Only one sad consistent remains - copy and paste (and even that was left out of the Iphone - for a while - LOL).
So, my opening question, does it really matter? I think it does. This is exactly HOW we created so many legacy applications that we are forced to support today so we have learnt very little. This is great for OpenSpan because we offer capabilities for normalizing and automating cross-application workflows across most application platforms (Fat, Thin, Web, Java, windows, Host or whatever) but thats not the point of this post. Where are we going wrong? I know applications that were written and then rewritten within just 5 years of each other and are now completely legacy today. i.e. no new development but no replacement being built (no IT budgets). I know, because we are bridging them to work with newer technologies. BTW - I said 5 years ago, but we have some users with 30 year old apps and 1 year old apps as well, in exactly the same boat!
I think my point is further validated when you look at the huge difference between web (cloud) applications and their user interfaces. They all seem so different. Take GMAIL. You could fairly argue, it's a terrific UI and Google have done a marvelous job making a dumb browser run what looks to be a very clever RICH client application. BUT - look at the resources GOOGLE has, few companies have the development / QA budgets that Google has (and Enterprises cannot afford to have applications 2-3 years in Beta to iron out bugs!). And to be fair, email is not as mission critical as losing a mortgage payment, medical diagnosis, wire transfer or interest calculation. We are used to losing emails like things get "lost in the post" (or junk folders).
I will write more on this subject I am passionate about (can you tell :) ).. But let me end with this for now. We all talk about how the pendulum swings, about every 10 years, right ? Well, in my view, the next pendulum is someone coming up with the next SUPER 4GL (RAD) development environment that allows cloud applications to be built quickly, full transaction roll-back-roll-forward, deploy anywhere, on-demand, run locally (and with core business logic when connection down) and all, so much more... it might be Silverlight, it might be Chrome or it might be something from nowhere (it might already be here and I missed it :)).. but it'll be here soon!
For me, whatever it's built on, I can guarantee, in a few months or a few years, it'll be another legacy app that'll need my help!
There are so many plug ins for the browsers now, along with so many browser incompatibilities I feel nothing much has really changed. You could argue, and I will, browsers are just fat clients. Enterprises have to do so much QA before rolling any web app into production, it really is just a client server app in all sense of the word(s). Sure, the user perceives the application runs in the browser and nothing is installed on the client but that's really a mirage. Under the covers, all sorts of technology is loaded on demand to run client side. And all the browser vendors want to win the browser war...and break the standards - and we know how long this war will go on !
Not only that, but we are YET AGAIN confusing the users with so many different types of web applications that pretty much all behave differently in terms of UI consistency. Even the same applications behave differently in different browsers and the UI for each is pretty much all over the place. My wife is confused as to when and when not to hit backspace (you can lose everything you typed in many web apps if you are not careful), she can drag and drop in GMAIL now but in no other web app she uses but that doesn't stop her trying and getting tied in knots. UI standards are out the window now! Only one sad consistent remains - copy and paste (and even that was left out of the Iphone - for a while - LOL).
So, my opening question, does it really matter? I think it does. This is exactly HOW we created so many legacy applications that we are forced to support today so we have learnt very little. This is great for OpenSpan because we offer capabilities for normalizing and automating cross-application workflows across most application platforms (Fat, Thin, Web, Java, windows, Host or whatever) but thats not the point of this post. Where are we going wrong? I know applications that were written and then rewritten within just 5 years of each other and are now completely legacy today. i.e. no new development but no replacement being built (no IT budgets). I know, because we are bridging them to work with newer technologies. BTW - I said 5 years ago, but we have some users with 30 year old apps and 1 year old apps as well, in exactly the same boat!
I think my point is further validated when you look at the huge difference between web (cloud) applications and their user interfaces. They all seem so different. Take GMAIL. You could fairly argue, it's a terrific UI and Google have done a marvelous job making a dumb browser run what looks to be a very clever RICH client application. BUT - look at the resources GOOGLE has, few companies have the development / QA budgets that Google has (and Enterprises cannot afford to have applications 2-3 years in Beta to iron out bugs!). And to be fair, email is not as mission critical as losing a mortgage payment, medical diagnosis, wire transfer or interest calculation. We are used to losing emails like things get "lost in the post" (or junk folders).
I will write more on this subject I am passionate about (can you tell :) ).. But let me end with this for now. We all talk about how the pendulum swings, about every 10 years, right ? Well, in my view, the next pendulum is someone coming up with the next SUPER 4GL (RAD) development environment that allows cloud applications to be built quickly, full transaction roll-back-roll-forward, deploy anywhere, on-demand, run locally (and with core business logic when connection down) and all, so much more... it might be Silverlight, it might be Chrome or it might be something from nowhere (it might already be here and I missed it :)).. but it'll be here soon!
For me, whatever it's built on, I can guarantee, in a few months or a few years, it'll be another legacy app that'll need my help!
Monday, July 6, 2009
OpenSpan BPO Services Partner Program
One thing for sure, as a BPO, is that you are often running other people's applications. We all know it's hard to optimize what you own, let alone doing that with someone else's application. This is one of the key reasons we established the OpenSpan BPO Services partner Program.
OpenSpan can get inside nearly any application that runs on the desktop and expose all of it's UI elements as an extremely robust API you can do what you like with. Whether you own that application or not. We don't need the source code to do this!
That means, for any BPO running someone else's application, you can automate it to your hearts content. Cumbersome agent workflows can be made highly efficient using the OpenSpan Studio that we train the BPO development/IT teams how to use. Using the visual drag and drop designer you can optimize these agent workflows in short order and start rolling out to their desktops rapidly.
Game changing for any BPO - Robust Integration and automation on the desktop.
See this press release for STREAM GLOBAL SERVICES. A world class BPO on the OpenSpan program.
OpenSpan can get inside nearly any application that runs on the desktop and expose all of it's UI elements as an extremely robust API you can do what you like with. Whether you own that application or not. We don't need the source code to do this!
That means, for any BPO running someone else's application, you can automate it to your hearts content. Cumbersome agent workflows can be made highly efficient using the OpenSpan Studio that we train the BPO development/IT teams how to use. Using the visual drag and drop designer you can optimize these agent workflows in short order and start rolling out to their desktops rapidly.
Game changing for any BPO - Robust Integration and automation on the desktop.
See this press release for STREAM GLOBAL SERVICES. A world class BPO on the OpenSpan program.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Injecting and Turkeys
No, we are not talking about injecting beer into a turkey but we are talking about the latest blog post by our VP of Development, Damon Lockwood. I wouldn't do his post justice by paraphrasing any more of it. So, please enjoy..
Do it On the Desktop
I will be back shortly myself after a little absence of blogging! Hope you missed me!
Do it On the Desktop
I will be back shortly myself after a little absence of blogging! Hope you missed me!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
BI tools, extended to the desktop
OpenSpan announces it's new tool that now enables all desktop applications to participate in the BI world. OpenSpan Events
More often than not, user desktops, where end users spend most of their time, are left out of any reporting or analytics. And yet, it is this very activity that drives most server, transactional and network activity. It could be argued, the correlation to what the end user is doing on the desktop, is a key metric that brings the big missing piece to BI reporting.
Sure, server side BI is important but imagine those BI reports showing up with detail too of the desktop applications and user activity, putting everything in context. Imagine spotting network slow-downs, or increases in transaction volume related to what users are doing within the applications on the desktop. Perhaps the users are spending more time in cloud applications that you have little control over and yet has a big impact on network performance. Perhaps a new discount or up-sell program means your users are spending 30% more time in different desktop applications than before or doing 3 mainframe searches instead of just 1. All of these things will effect the BI reporting on the server, but until now, you never really knew why,
I liken this to Google Analytics, but OpenSpan events is for any desktop application, not just web, and of course, for applications running on the desktop and for those running inside OR outside of the firewall.
Now, all user activity on the desktop, down to the click of a check box, the time an application is utilized, or even the monitoring of usage of applications you maybe didn't even know about, can be logged by OpenSpan desktop Events. There's a ton of use cases we are seeing for this and now it's here. Enjoy and feel free to comment.
More often than not, user desktops, where end users spend most of their time, are left out of any reporting or analytics. And yet, it is this very activity that drives most server, transactional and network activity. It could be argued, the correlation to what the end user is doing on the desktop, is a key metric that brings the big missing piece to BI reporting.
Sure, server side BI is important but imagine those BI reports showing up with detail too of the desktop applications and user activity, putting everything in context. Imagine spotting network slow-downs, or increases in transaction volume related to what users are doing within the applications on the desktop. Perhaps the users are spending more time in cloud applications that you have little control over and yet has a big impact on network performance. Perhaps a new discount or up-sell program means your users are spending 30% more time in different desktop applications than before or doing 3 mainframe searches instead of just 1. All of these things will effect the BI reporting on the server, but until now, you never really knew why,
I liken this to Google Analytics, but OpenSpan events is for any desktop application, not just web, and of course, for applications running on the desktop and for those running inside OR outside of the firewall.
Now, all user activity on the desktop, down to the click of a check box, the time an application is utilized, or even the monitoring of usage of applications you maybe didn't even know about, can be logged by OpenSpan desktop Events. There's a ton of use cases we are seeing for this and now it's here. Enjoy and feel free to comment.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
OpenSpan Update
I have not blogged here in a while but promise to try better. For now, here's an update for everyone..
I am proud of the fact that OpenSpan has this year won, not one, but two finalists CODIE awards. Being placed alongside companies like Adobe and Salesforce in the finals is reward in itself. The awards were (I sound like someone from BAFTA or the Oscars) for the two categories, BEST BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTION and BEST WEB SERVICES SOLUTION.
OpenSpan also announced the doubling of it's revenue in 2008 and deployment to 100,000 desktops. Desktop Productivity solutions have never been more in demand than they are now. Enterprises have immediate needs to make their existing desktop applications more productive for their users and OpenSpan hits that sweet spot. Not forgetting all of the M&A activity in financial services, the demand for automating workflows across multiple silo'd applications is high.
If you have not seen our new Web site, please check it out. OPENSPAN - it's more than a makeover, it's putting clarity on our successes and our positioning. I love it. Good Job team.
Lots of exciting news happening in 2009 - and I mean LOTS so watch this space for more details. i will also try to wet your appetite on what is coming, over the next few weeks!
I am proud of the fact that OpenSpan has this year won, not one, but two finalists CODIE awards. Being placed alongside companies like Adobe and Salesforce in the finals is reward in itself. The awards were (I sound like someone from BAFTA or the Oscars) for the two categories, BEST BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTION and BEST WEB SERVICES SOLUTION.
OpenSpan also announced the doubling of it's revenue in 2008 and deployment to 100,000 desktops. Desktop Productivity solutions have never been more in demand than they are now. Enterprises have immediate needs to make their existing desktop applications more productive for their users and OpenSpan hits that sweet spot. Not forgetting all of the M&A activity in financial services, the demand for automating workflows across multiple silo'd applications is high.
If you have not seen our new Web site, please check it out. OPENSPAN - it's more than a makeover, it's putting clarity on our successes and our positioning. I love it. Good Job team.
Lots of exciting news happening in 2009 - and I mean LOTS so watch this space for more details. i will also try to wet your appetite on what is coming, over the next few weeks!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wrapping Legacy Applications - IT JUST WORKS
A legacy application is not just an 80x24 green screen. It can be;
* A windows Client Server, fat client or thin client application
* A web application plain old HTML
* A web 2.0 Application, script, Java, ActiveX (with embedded widgets)
* A Java applet or Java Application
* A custom application (Salesforce.com, Oracle Forms, Lotus Notes)
* Packaged Applications
You get the point. If it’s deployed live, it’s legacy.
So, for years we have wrapped green screen applications successfully to enable their business functionality to be consumed by other technologies. Heck, many of your ATM transactions are just plain wrappers on mainframe applications and screens. The good thing about this approach is - IT JUST WORKS (my new motto). So, wouldn’t it be nice if we could “wrap” any application like this, not just 80x24 screens but all the "other" stuff. Well, now we truly can. OpenSpan Studio enables virtually anything that runs on the Windows O/S to be wrapped – exposing the deep UI elements, controls and transactions (robustly and securely) to any mid-tier technology. You can even take any of those legacy applications and move them to the server room (thanks to Virtualization) and run them completely without a user ever needing to see them again! SOA enablement of legacy applications - it's here now.
This approach is crucial is 2009 for delivering quick solutions to the business. IT JUST WORKS.
So, whether the application is 5 minutes old, or 30 years old, if it has a UI, there’s a good chance it will be part someone’s SOA / API strategy in the very near future. Thanks to OpenSpan :)
Look at this quote from an Article on SOA in the SDTIMES last year if you needed any further proof.
* A windows Client Server, fat client or thin client application
* A web application plain old HTML
* A web 2.0 Application, script, Java, ActiveX (with embedded widgets)
* A Java applet or Java Application
* A custom application (Salesforce.com, Oracle Forms, Lotus Notes)
* Packaged Applications
You get the point. If it’s deployed live, it’s legacy.
So, for years we have wrapped green screen applications successfully to enable their business functionality to be consumed by other technologies. Heck, many of your ATM transactions are just plain wrappers on mainframe applications and screens. The good thing about this approach is - IT JUST WORKS (my new motto). So, wouldn’t it be nice if we could “wrap” any application like this, not just 80x24 screens but all the "other" stuff. Well, now we truly can. OpenSpan Studio enables virtually anything that runs on the Windows O/S to be wrapped – exposing the deep UI elements, controls and transactions (robustly and securely) to any mid-tier technology. You can even take any of those legacy applications and move them to the server room (thanks to Virtualization) and run them completely without a user ever needing to see them again! SOA enablement of legacy applications - it's here now.
This approach is crucial is 2009 for delivering quick solutions to the business. IT JUST WORKS.
So, whether the application is 5 minutes old, or 30 years old, if it has a UI, there’s a good chance it will be part someone’s SOA / API strategy in the very near future. Thanks to OpenSpan :)
Look at this quote from an Article on SOA in the SDTIMES last year if you needed any further proof.
The survey found that a majority, or 58 percent, of SOA systems contain components that are not designed to be interoperable as Web services. These include components that use non-SOAP messaging, such as IBM WebSphere MQ and Java’s Remote Method Invocation. Further, mainframe applications show up in 47 percent of SOA applications, and packaged applications accounted for 68 percent of components.
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