Appnomic Systems announced the release of OpsOne 5.0, a step towards removing the barriers for enterprise-level IT performance automation (ITPA), making automation sustainable, and further simplifying customization of the OpsOne system.

Many contemporary ITPA solutions designed for use by enterprises represent an integration of multiple platforms where expensive systems integrators are required for deployment and support. Alternately, solutions available today are narrowly focused on specific domains like server provisioning, service desk automation or event management automation.

Appnomic Systems provides an affordable, cross domain, IT Process Automation (ITPA) platform that can be used as foundation for enterprise IT process automation.

“With OpsOne 5.0, Appnomic takes a big step forward in our mission to simplify and automate IT,” said Ray Solnik, Appnomic’s president. “No longer will users have to be concerned about the pain of implementing and sustaining enterprise grade IT automation which can hold back enterprise progress. With OpsOne 5.0 key features like the BRMS and the Web-based Enterprise Solution Designer, deploying and sustaining automations is easier and more sustainable than ever before.”

Starting from the Software as a Service (SaaS) offering model announced years ago to the new enhancements today, OpsOne is breaking down the barriers to IT process automation and freeing up new levels of IT service quality, corporate compliance and cost efficiencies.

OpsOne enables cross domain automations versus solely a single domain focus. OpsOne also supports both workload automation (execution of asynchronous application processes, based on date/time, events, or user request) and run book automation (automation through the execution of scripts based on a library of potential operations).

Some of the notable advances in OpsOne 5.0 include the following:

- Run-Time Business Rule Changes: Business rules may now be changed “on the fly” with the new Business Rules Management System (BRMS). Business rules may now easily change based on the demands of the business without implementing major process, systems, or automation configuration changes that can be costly and take a long time to implement. By separating business rules from workflow in the design of OpsOne 5.0, users are now able to dynamically change the operational parameters of their automation environments without having to rebuild workflows or rebuild automation configurations. Some examples of this feature is the ability to change approval time frames (e.g, From “provide 2 days before escalating to senior manager,” to “provide 3 days before escalating to senior manager”), operating threshold values (e.g., From “initiate application layer configuration change when 500 concurrent users are achieved” to “ initiate application layer configuration change when 2,000 concurrent users are achieved”), and other business rule settings that drive work flow and enable flexibility in deployed automations that were not previously available.

- Web Based Enterprise Solution Designer and Collaboration Portal: Until now, a separate software client was required for process and automation design. These designs would then be uploaded into the OpsOne server for deployment. OpsOne 5.0 eliminates the need for this separate client and enables process design on the Web with a new enterprise portal and through standard Web browsers. All variety of devices like smart phones and tablets that support HTML 5 may now be used for process design – adding a new level of convenience and portability to the OpsOne solution. This approach also enables new levels of collaboration and accelerated process design cycle times with other collaboration features like forums and expanded user management functionality. It should also be noted that local, desktop design is still available with a lightweight download for those working on-the-go or without network access. Time to value and quick-response to changing enterprise IT environments achieve a large step forward with this advancement.

- Enhanced Error Notification and Correction: Problems are now spotted faster, process admins are notified immediately, error reports are generated automatically, and an error transition feature is triggered so that when everything has been sorted out, the system will pick up where it left off, before the error occurred. Errors notifications and actions can now be customized to provide a better user experience and better/faster response should errors occur.

A further advance bundled into OpsOne 5.0 is five hours of Automation Sustenance Technical Services (ASTS). Appnomic bundles five hours of ASTS at no additional charge for each process automation (for purchases that qualify). ASTS is intended to cover the small updates or upgrades requested by clients when business processes change or systems require updates or upgrades. This unique offering helps clients keep their business moving forward and maintaining the value of deployed solutions versus being held back by fixed, hard to change systems deployments.

“We have heard from our users that, in the past, they have been so exhausted when they can get their IT stack automation functioning correctly that they are reluctant to touch it again because of fear something will go wrong,” said Solnik. “Clients have been essentially held hostage to fragile automations that limit process improvement initiatives and upgrades to systems at automation touch points. Now clients can call on us when they want to change or upgrade a process or component in that stack. We will spend up to five engineering hours making sure that everything still works together the way that it’s supposed to – at no additional charge to the customer.”