BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Oct. 1, 2003 -- Attachmate Corporation, delivering breakthrough technology in the legacy application integration space, announced the upcoming release of myEXTRA!™ Presentation Builder, a Java-based solution that streamlines a user’s interaction with the host. Presentation Builder provides an object-oriented approach to refacing and repurposing mainframe applications for the Web. Scheduled to ship October 17, 2003, myEXTRA! Presentation Builder enables the design of simple, easy-to-use Web presentations that eliminate expensive, specialized application training.
myEXTRA! Presentation Builder quickly remodels host applications, creating streamlined workflows to advance today’s business demands for host data. The product is designed for the business-level manager who is familiar with host system workflows, but may not have IT developers at their disposal. By rearranging the screens and selecting pertinent fields only, that manager can extend legacy applications – previously available only to highly skilled users – to new employees and workgroups.
Two-minute applications for the non-developer
In minutes instead of hours, myEXTRA! Presentation Builder can transform host applications into new Web presentations, providing Web-based access to mission-critical applications, without the risks inherent in altering those host applications. With a GUI-based, drag-and-drop development designer, organizations can easily convert, customize and condense an application, such as an in-house order entry legacy application, into a self-service order entry presentation – so that anyone with a browser can access it.
Presentation Builder is non-invasive and developers do not make any host code changes. The product uses themes to apply pre-defined rules to different types of data. Developers can use these themes or create their own, which makes it easy to craft comprehensive changes. With an understanding of the host application, they can apply a theme and, in minutes, transform it to a new Web presentation.
“Presentation Builder is fast and easy to use, so it solves the issue of limited IT resources by providing host-aware business analysts with the means to quickly ‘remodel’ host applications and create new presentations of host data,” explained Markus Nitschke, Attachmate vice president of marketing and product management. “This helps to solve the increasing demand for host information from a variety of new audiences.”
Increasing productivity by streamlining workflows
With Presentation Builder, designers can simplify an application’s flow, eliminating unnecessary steps for improved efficiencies by shortening the time it takes to complete a transaction. This reduces errors and allows designers to customize multiple views for specific business audiences or to create self-service applications for the Web.
By making the application easier to use, businesses save time and money on training, reduce redundant data entry, and increase the number of transactions per day – giving companies an immediate return on investment.
Reducing costs with Centralized management
myEXTRA! Presentation Builder’s graphical design environment allows for rapid presentation development, testing and deployment. Organizations can easily deploy new user presentations to multiple locations over large geographic areas, thereby reducing installation and administration costs. These new Web presentations are easily managed from a central location, virtually eliminating installation and administration costs.
Securing the host
myEXTRA! Presentation Builder enables compliance with all security regulations, and safeguards any host information that goes beyond the firewall. Managers can easily construct the Web presentation so that each business group sees only the host information it needs; confidential information is never physically sent to the client. Presentation Builder provides only XML or HTML to the client browser; there is no live host connection between the end-user and the host.