LAN Design has announced the availability of Apptrieve, a new application mining solution from WRQ, which enables organisations to build e-business applications that integrate legacy data from IBM mainframe, AS/400, VAX and UNIX host systems.
Neill Rosenthal from LAN Design says Apptrieve is a practical, low-risk way to build new customer-driven e-business solutions out of legacy applications without costly, time-consuming re-engineering.
"It lets you mine the data and business logic locked inside legacy systems and re-use them in custom Web applications," he adds.
"Apptrieve fills a gap in the emerging enterprise application integration (EAI) market by giving Web application developers with no expertise in host systems easy, object-based access to legacy business logic without requiring any custom programming, or alterations to the host system."
Rosenthal expects demand for the product to be high as many organisations are considering it as a cost-effective way to take existing applications to the Web or to create new hybrid applications that tactically use legacy systems` functionality.
"This market is hot and will remain that way for three to five years," he says.
Most Web application developers are unfamiliar with legacy applications, which are highly customised to individual organisations. Unlike other application mining solutions, which require custom programming through proprietary APIs, and are limited to a minority of existing legacy applications, Apptrieve enables access and integration of legacy data into new Web or client/server applications without requiring knowledge of the host system.
Apptrieve includes a graphical legacy application mapping tool, a development kit and powerful server for reducing the complexity of legacy-Web integration.
LAN Design plans to appoint a few select partners to work with the product, which is niche and needs certain expertise.
"Our partners will typically be those who are already implementing e-commerce solutions or doing advanced Web development for customers," he explains.
WRQ has in place the Apptrieve Authorised Solution Provider Programme, which will be adapted for the South African environment. The channel development and support initiative will provide qualified value-added resellers and system integrators with technology and sales training, and marketing support to help them take advantage of new business opportunities generated by the Apptrieve solution.
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