Return to Simplicity

Business Applications

High Tech without High Cost

2

Agenda

Company Overview Business Problem Four J’s Solution Business Benefits Product Strategy & Vision Conclusion

3

Global PresenceSequential, Profitable Growth

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

$10m Revenue

5,000 Developers1,000 VARs

3,000,000 Users

Founded 1995, privately held Global presence

• European HQ in Paris• North American HQ in Dallas

Worldwide reselleragreement with IBM

4

Select Customers and Partners

End Users

Distribution

Media Finance

Government

ISSSTE

Spanish Air Force

Retail

VARs

Municipal Retail

CRM

Financial

FDS

Supply Chain

Peace Software

5

Agenda

Company Overview Business Problem Four J’s Solution Business Benefits Product Strategy & Vision Conclusion

6

Business Applications … Are Not About Technology

Businesses use applications for two primary reasons• To lower the cost of operations (and services)• To enable operations (and services)

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?

7

Legacy Bound

Today’s business application using state-of-the-art technology is tomorrow’s legacy application• 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

0%

100%

Infrastructure Business Logic

ApplicationApplication

ROI comes from businessfunctionality, not infrastructure

8

Focused on Tech: Expensive & Risky!

Constant investment in technology• 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• Application Portability• Application Performance• Application Complexity• Application Programmer Availability

9

Business Applications …Are about Business Features

You are a large VAR• Provider of call center software to Fortune 500 companies

Key corporate goal• Own the outsourced telemarketing firms that target retail

companies Market leader opportunity

• Enable these centers to offer low cost, rapid integration with their customer’s retail inventory and ordering systems

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?

10

4GLs Lead the Market for Web Application Development

2000 2001 2002 2003

2000-2003 CAGR %

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 $803 52.8%

Worldwide Web Application Design & Construction Tools Revenue ($M)

Source: IDC, 2001

11

Agenda

Company Overview Business Problem Four J’s Solution Business Benefits Product Strategy & Vision Conclusion

12

Intelligent Business Application Infrastructure

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

Single source code stream supports multiple databases• Open Database Interface supports DB2, Informix, Oracle, SQL Server…• Multiple, simultaneous, native, high-performance access

Thin client, three-tier architecture• Automatic management and optimization of client/server communications• High performance server – without special client-server skills

Web Services support without special infrastructure skills

Keeping development effort focused on business logic, not infrastructure or deployment issues

13

BDS -- Insulating Business Logicfrom Technology Infrastructure

ASCII Windows X11 Java HTML HTML WML

WebServices

14

Internet Security

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

ApplicationServer

Sec

ured

zon

e

Fire

wal

l zon

e

Firewall Pub

lic z

one

Java/HTML Client

WebServer

DM

ZFirewall allows TCP/IP connection to Web Server HTTP port from public network

Firewall allows TCP/IP connection to Application Server from Web Server

DatabaseServer

15

Internet Security

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

ApplicationServer

Sec

ured

zon

e

Fire

wal

l zon

e

Firewall

Pub

lic z

one

Java/HTML Client

WebServer

DM

Z

DatabaseServer

Firewall disallows TCP/IP connection to Application Server from public network

BDS in Action…

17

Agenda

Company Overview Business Problem Four J’s Solution Business Benefits Product Strategy & Vision Conclusion

18

Business Benefits

Cost Reduction & Time to Market

• Enable the rapid development, deployment, and evolution of Business Applications

High Tech without High Cost• Enable full exploitation of state-of-the-art

infrastructure, without investment in special skills or development

Future Proof – not Legacy Bound!• Insulate the investment in business

applications from waves of technology innovation

19

“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

“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

Cost Reduction & Time to Market

“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

“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

“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

20

Agenda

Company Overview Business Problem Four J’s Solution Business Benefits Product Strategy & Vision Conclusion

21

Intelligent Business Application Infrastructure -- Open to Change

Closed Four J’s Open Closed Four J’s Open

I4GLInformixWindows

I4GL + BDLInformix, DB2,Oracle, Sybase,SQL ServerWindows,HTML, X11

I4GL + BDLInformix, DB2,Oracle, Sybase,SQL ServerWindows,HTML, X11,Java, WMLWeb Services

I4GL + BDL + OOPInformix, DB2,Oracle, Sybase,SQL ServerWindows,HTML, Java,X11, WML, XMLWeb Services,App Servers

20021998 2000 2003

*BDL – Four J’s Business Development Language

22

Genero Architecture

Java

Windows

Business Logic

HTML

XML

Data Centric

Metadata UID

GenericApplication User

InteractionDefinition (UID)

Dynamic UID (XML)Dynamic UID (XML)

Business UIDTransformationsBusiness UID

Transformations

Runtime UIDTransformations

Runtime UIDTransformations

TTY

Client specific UIDtransformations

Map generic interaction toclient specific widgets andproperties

Client layout, userinteraction & servercommunications

23

Genero Architecture

Java

Windows

Business Logic

HTML

GenericApplication User

InteractionDefinition (UID)

Dynamic UID (XML)Dynamic UID (XML)

Business UIDTransformationsBusiness UID

Transformations

Runtime UIDTransformations

Runtime UIDTransformations

TTY 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

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Genero Architecture

Java

Windows

Business Logic

HTMLDynamic UID (XML)Dynamic UID (XML)

Business UIDTransformationsBusiness UID

Transformations

Runtime UIDTransformations

Runtime UIDTransformations

TTY

Change the behavior of the app depending on interaction with the usere.g. premium customer has extra fields

GenericApplication

UserInteraction

Definition (UID)

25

Genero Architecture

Java

Windows

Business Logic

HTMLDynamic UID (XML)Dynamic UID (XML)

Business UIDTransformationsBusiness UID

Transformations

Runtime UIDTransformations

Runtime UIDTransformations

TTY

Change the behavior of the app depending on interaction with the usere.g. premium customer has extra fields

Consistent look&feel, e.g. currency, negative values in red; business rules, login to display secure data, or can’t see

GenericApplication

UserInteraction

Definition (UID)

26

Genero Summary

Full user interface abstraction• Separate business logic from presentation logic• UI programmers create the UI, business

programmers create the business logic 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

Dynamic, personalized UI interaction• Change app behavior depending on user

interaction

Genero in Action…

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Intelligent Business Application Infrastructure

““Four J’s mission is to provide an intelligent Four J’s mission is to provide an intelligent infrastructure for business applications that excels in infrastructure for business applications that excels in its openness, flexibility and performance, taking full its openness, flexibility and performance, taking full

advantage of new technologies while preserving advantage of new technologies while preserving business functionality.”business functionality.”

““Four J’s mission is to provide an intelligent Four J’s mission is to provide an intelligent infrastructure for business applications that excels in infrastructure for business applications that excels in its openness, flexibility and performance, taking full its openness, flexibility and performance, taking full

advantage of new technologies while preserving advantage of new technologies while preserving business functionality.”business functionality.”

Return to Simplicity

Business Applications

High Tech without High Cost