Reflexe Technologies

OpenAGE

• Full web
• Java/J2EE
• SQL databases

Departmental applications

Companies deploy hundreds of applications and users endlessly request new solutions, going sometimes as far as developing local applications by themselves using desktop office software (spreadsheets and databases) or writing one-off custom software solutions. These applications, outwith the scope of central enterprise applications, do not share data, are difficult to adapt and update and consume a significant proportion of IT budgets.

The OpenAGE approach

Information systems without OpenAGE: data scattered on different PCs and sites, redundant duplication of code on different PCs, varying standards and poor documentation, access tied to your workstation

  • Data scattered on different PCs and sites
    difficult to share, integrate and consolidate
  • Redundant duplication of codes on different PCs
    difficult to deploy and maintain
  • Varying standards and poor documentation
    difficult to adapt and evolve
  • Access tied to your workstation
    not available to partners or if out of office


 

Information systems with OpenAGE: data centralised in a database, common and reusable code for your applications, point-and-click creation and upgrades, browser-based access

  • Data centralised in a database
    MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, DB2...
  • Common and reusable code for your applications
    security, query engine, reports, translation...
  • Point-and-click creation and upgrades
    data structure, workflow, presentation...
  • Browser-based access (Intranet or Extranet)
    Java servers Tomcat, Websphere, Weblogic…...


 

With OpenAGE, create or replace your departmental applications with a solution enabling rapid responses to your end users’ needs and that meets your IT department’s requirements.

What can it be used for?

  • Managing and sharing enterprise data:
    • a pragmatic, progressive, and modular approach to CRM; sales actions, marketing campaigns, customer support management...
    • managing personnel: recruitment, skills, training, holidays...
    • managing production data: product data, project data, quality actions...
    • managing budgets
    • ...
  • Complementary tools for decision support systems:
    • Complementary data entry (e.g.: targets)
    • On-demand visual querying of your data
    • ...
  • Centralisation & consolidation of multi-site data and applications (subsidiaries, agencies...).

What are the benefits?

Develop a mobile office
  • OpenAGE applications are accessibles via your web browser
Information quality
  • A single database, with up-to-date information, integrated into the rest of your information system
Application quality
  • OpenAGE's centralised architecture makes it easier to standardise the creation and use of your business applications.
  • OpenAGE's collection of generic features shared by all applications constitute a platform, which itself is constantly evolving a heavily used and tested.
  • OpenAGE enables easy and fast prototyping of applications for validation.
Application flexibility
  • Change the structure of your data using visual settings.
  • All your applications gain extra features as the core platform evolves.
Reduce barriers to adoption
  • Users become familiar with a consistent interface to all their applications.
Functional administration made easier
  • Easier to merge data and check integrity.
  • Fast integration with your existing information systems.
IT productivity
  • Rapid application development compared with programming. A new application fitting into the OpenAGE shell can be created and deployed in a couple of hours.
  • Easier maintenance and deployment
    • Change applications by changing settings
    • One single platform to deploy and maintain
    • One single centralised database, even for users in different locations
    • Instant web-based deployment
    • Versioning support
  • Easier integration into information systems
    • Centralising data and using SQL databases makes integration easier with other tools and your existing information systems
    • E-mail and LDAP directory synchronisation
OpenAGE positioning: full-web with rapid application development and deployment cycles

OpenAGE has no equivalent

OpenAGE clearly distinguishes itself through rapid design and deployment and its inherent rationalisation of your total cost of ownership.


Comparison of Total Cost of Ownership
Total Cost of Ownership OpenAGE Office Software Developer Tools Enterprise Applications
Licence Low cost Low cost Medium cost High cost
Development Low cost High cost Medium cost Low cost
Deployment Low cost High cost High cost High cost
Maintenance/support Low cost High cost High cost Low cost
Evolution Low cost High cost Medium cost Low cost
Cost (hardware/software) Low cost High cost High cost High cost
Cost (skills/experience) Low cost Low cost High cost High cost

Architecture

OpenAGE comprises an application engine (a Java WebApp), and a desktop design studio to create, update, and deploy your OpenAGE applications. The engine contains all the generic features shared between applications, and the design studio lets you specify the specific features of each individual application: structure and relationships of data, behavioural rules, and workflow rules.

Every new application is modelled in the design studio then stored in your chosen database as metadata.

When the OpenAGE application engine starts up, it examines the metadata in the database then dynamically provides your application suite.

To update an existing application, you download the metadata into the design studio and make the desired changes (tables, fields, rules, and so on). Then, with nothing more than a few simple clicks, you can apply your updated metadata. The next time the application engine starts, your new business rules and data structures are automatically reflected in your applications (updated views of data, workflow, options for the query engine).

All you need is a web browser to login and start using the suite of generated applications. In this way, OpenAGE lets you build a coherent application portal, sharing the same look and feel and the same set of centralised design and management tools.

Infrastructure

OpenAGE works with all modern application servers that support the Java Servlet and JSP specifications (Tomcat, WebLogic™, Websphere™...) and standard HTTP web servers. Almost any SQL database can be used to stored business data and metadata (MySQL™, Oracle™, DB2™...).

Generic features

Powerful authentication and authorisation security system
  • Authentication (with optional LDAP integration)
  • Organisational hierarchies (including transversal functional hierarchies)
  • Multiple roles and hierarchical user profiles
  • Fine-grained table and field-level filtering
  • Criteria-based filtering, limiting access according to field values
  • Ability to share and transfer private
Integrated data-processing features
  • Automatic creation of tables, lists, and forms
  • Dynamic cross-table query tool, with multiple context-aware criteria options
  • Support for attached documents
  • Automatic creation of dynamic cross-table interactive dashboard views
  • Every user can customise his or her screen layout and filters
  • Security-aware data export
  • Duplicate data detection
  • Batch updates
  • E-mailing
  • Workflow support
Internationalisation
  • Multi-lingual text support (user interface and secondary look-up tables)
  • Support for multiple timezones (everyone sees the same data adapted to their local timezone)
  • Support for multiple currencies
Manage individual and collaborative actions
  • Shared calendar
  • Notifications and alerts
  • One-off or automatic sharing

Screenshots

Dynamic summary view
Dynamic summary view

Data-entry form
Data-entry form

Application design tool
Application design tool

Application design tool
Application design tool