Software AG, a global provider of business infrastructure software, expanded the webMethods Application Modernization Suite with the introduction of the Discovery Edition. Based on Software AG's global reseller agreement with Relativity Technologies, the Discovery Edition can be used to document and analyze existing code bases - including Cobol, PL/I, RPG, Visual Basic, C/C++ and Java - in order to eliminate software deficiencies, optimize application performance and enable subsequent reuse of existing code. Key features of the Discovery Edition include code analytics and visualization, code refactoring, business rules identification and extraction, and a collaborative knowledgebase for managing software artifacts.

"While application modernization can deliver very significant ROI, the perceived risk associated with disrupting often decades-old code limits adoption," said Joe Gentry, Software AG's CTO for Enterprise Transaction Systems. "The Discovery Edition helps to eliminate these concerns by providing developers with the knowledge and insight required to proceed confidently with application modernizations projects."

One of the biggest challenges confronting enterprises contemplating application modernization initiatives is their lack of knowledge regarding the current state of their software code. In many cases, the original developers may have retired, leaving behind little-to-no documentation and replacement staff with minimal training on the application. This lack of understanding and experience may cause an organization to delay or defer efforts to update these core systems, thus hindering the organization's performance and competitiveness.

Specifically designed to 'unlock' existing applications, the webMethods Application Modernization Suite, Discovery Edition automates application discovery, code analysis, and identification of proven code for reuse. It provides all of the tools needed to automatically catalog application components, to map both business logic flows and software relationships, and to optimize code structure for improved performance. By bringing all of this knowledge and insight together within a centralized knowledgebase, developers can more quickly and confidently address application deficiencies and prepare code for subsequent reuse or redeployment.

Specific components of the Discovery Edition of the webMethods Application Modernization Suite include:

• Modernization Workbench - A collaborative knowledgebase for managing and storing software artifacts that serves as the foundation for the Discovery Edition.
• Application Analyzer - A powerful discovery tool that automatically catalogues existing code and artifacts, and generates in-depth diagrams, reports, metrics and documentation detailing the application.
• Application Architect - Eliminates dead, inefficient and non-standard code while isolating proven business logic as reusable software components.
• Business Rules Manager - An interactive tool for locating specific software constructs that embody identified business logic, which can then be stored for subsequent reuse within the Modernization Workbench.

Other add-on components to the Discovery Edition include the Application Portfolio Manager and the Function Point Analyzer. The Application Portfolio Manager identifies portfolio inefficiencies, risks and value, helping CIOs, line of business executives, analysts and developers prioritize and execute application modernization projects. The Function Point Analyzer generates industry-standard function point counts providing valuable insight into the size and complexity of an application before embarking on a modernization effort.

The core technology behind the Discovery Edition has been employed by over four hundred enterprises, including seven of the ten largest financial services providers, to manage and modernize existing applications. In these real-world implementations, enterprises have recorded efficiency gains of 70% or more over traditional, manual approaches and alternative solutions. Another important differentiator is the ability of the Discovery Edition to present key findings in a business context as a means for simplifying later decision making regarding application modernization priorities.

The webMethods Application Modernization Suite provides a full range of capabilities for extending the value of enterprise systems. The product suite's Web Edition transforms green-screen applications into browser-based interfaces; the SQL Edition provides real-time, SQL-based access to relational and non-relational data sources in order to streamline the flow of data between new and existing applications; and the SOA Edition exposes, orchestrates and governs critical functionality as standards-based services within a Service-oriented Architecture (SOA). The new Discovery Edition supports each of these approaches by providing a deeper understanding of complex applications while preparing code for reuse in SOA and BPM initiatives.