eAIJ: Does RosettaNet put some shape around this problem?

Green: RosettaNet starts to provide processes for XML frameworks that can be useful in moving the standards to the next level. Keep in mind that RosettaNet is relatively new, so almost all the Partner Interface Processes (PIPs) are still under definition. RosettaNet is also focussed on the IT community and it’s not clear how well that will extrapolate to other sectors. But it’s a much-needed next step to make things work together. We’re fascinated by what’s occurring at RosettaNet and optimistic it will help advance the industry.

eAIJ: Whatever happens with XML standards, do you agree there’s always going to be a need for integration technology?

Green: Yes. IT organizations don’t replace their applications every year, two years, or even five years. This is especially true today — after enterprises have recently spent hundreds of millions of dollars preparing their applications for Year/2000 compliance. Doing all that work and then replacing the applications doesn’t make sense. The new model in IT is all about connecting the new with the old. Often, the old has been around for 20 years. So how long will it take for all applications to convert to XML? It could take forever. We’re going to see many, many years where there’ll be a need to integrate XML-based applications with non XML-based applications. Upper management will look to IT to leverage existing applications as much as possible. None of them are XML-compliant, so the game plan involves leveraging the spent investment and simultaneously adding new XML capabilities. So we’ve structured a product that lets people connect existing applications and add a Business-to-Business (B2B) server — not to the applications but to the integration system. This means any application that talks to the integration system can have its application-specific format converted to XML for communication across the Web without changing any of the applications. In other words, with one piece of software, you have XML-enabled your enterprise. It’s a really interesting concept. Yo u can add an XML enabler to your integration platform and then XML-enable the enterprise.

eAIJ: How do you distinguish between process automation and workflow?

Green: People use process modeling, process automation, process management, and workflow interchangeably. It has created confusion in the industry. We take the simple and pragmatic view that workflow involves people and it’s not the same as process automation. Workflow has transactions that may span days; process automation can have transactions that span seconds. Workflow deals with the concept of people’s roles — and you have a whole set of issues when people are involved. It really requires a workflow specialization that’s totally different from application orientation and application transactional management. We do considerable process automation between applications, but if you want a workflow product that involves human beings, that’s a different topic. Some of our competitors claim they do it all, but that’s a questionable claim. The capabilities of true workflow engines and features workflow products provide are sophisticated and don’t exist in traditional EAI products. That’s why Active has partnered with Hewlett-Packard (HP).

eAIJ: Process flow, which requires workflow capabilities, is essential to creating an electronic enterprise. Why don’t traditional integration products offer workflow?

Green: If you think about workflow, you should think about routing documents between people. Think of it in terms of moving a document around an organization according to a pre-defined set of steps and decision points. When you think about what e-business integration provides, it tends to be more application-oriented. But there are systems that require both. Again, this is not a single topic; it’s two topics and the products are considerably different. But they can work together. For example, the ActiveWorks process can become a step in a larger HP Changengine workflow that determines the document management facilities throughout the corporation.

eAIJ: As well as partnering, Active has recently acquired several compa-nies.What is the management thinking behind these moves?

Green: Active Software’s focus is on bringing businesses into the networked economy, providing a comprehensive platform for B2B integration and integration within the business. There’s significant emphasis on packaged applications that businesses have bought recently, mainframe applications they bought historically and, increasingly, integrating the businesses with other enterprises and their applications. It’s a major task and several technologies are required.