Software development specialist MIP Holdings has completed the development of its Astra2 framework, which was funded in part by the Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII).
SPII, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and administered by the Industrial Development Corporation, is designed to promote technology development in South African manufacturing industries through support for product innovation.
SPII chose to fund the development of Astra2 because it represents a significant advance in technology, it was developed and produced in SA, and it supports national objectives such as job creation, skills development and investment.
"Astra2 is an innovative product with high export potential," says SPII consultant Dennis Human. "MIP has taken the open source concept and demonstrated its ability to perfect it. It represents a significant technological advance with a future-proof, component-based design that slashes time to market by more than half."
Astra2 signalled MIP`s entry into the open source arena and forms the core of the Progress Open Source Software Exchange (POSSE) Internet Component Framework (ICF). It enables the rapid delivery of enterprise-class e-business solutions and is the primary layer of development on which all MIP systems are based. Astra2 embraces the Universal Application Architecture (UAA) concepts from Progress and supports a completely open architecture, enabling users to employ any database or language in conjunction with a Progress application.
"Making system source codes and components available in an open source model enables rapid bug fixes and increased security," notes MIP sales and marketing director Don Elliott. "Because the code is exposed to intense scrutiny, problems can be found and fixed quickly. This is key to the development of e-business solutions that address global new economy demands."
"SPII`s matching scheme programme - which covers 50% of direct development costs - means risk is shared during the development phase," says Human.
"From SPII`s point of view, the project has been most successful. The defined deliverables were available on time and according to expectations. Following research and prototype development, MIP was able to go directly into commercialisation of Astra2 and realise an immediate return on investment."
Astra2`s companion frameworks include two well established offerings, AstraGen and AstraFin. AstraGen is a generic database design that supplies the core components required for applications in any industry. It is one of the core building blocks used to design enterprise solutions. AstraFin is a full accounting module that plugs into AstraGen.
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