It's a jolly good time to be in the Automation and Integration space, especially during the festive season
A more in depth thought about IBM and the acquisition of webMethods from Software AG.
Avella AS and Avella Sverige was founded on the following merit.
The founders aimed to create a workplace they would enjoy working in indefinitely. They also sought to automate and integrate applications. As a company we firmly believe that application and data integration is crucial for any enterprise. It should not be an afterthought, but rather a priority, in order to ensure that organizations can fully benefit from their investments in applications that support their core business.
After 16 years in Avella AS I can confidently say that we have helped numerous businesses streamline their end-to-end business processes through the use of integration tools. What makes this even more significant is that the field of integration and automation continues to gain importance with each passing year. It remains captivating due to the emergence of new technologies, such as the widespread adoption of enterprise software applications and the increasing use of artificial intelligence in various industries. To achieve this, it is crucial to access the right data in a timely manner, which is the essence of integration.
Today, on the 18th of December 2023, Christmas came early as IBM announced its acquisition of the webMethods portfolio and StreamSets from Software AG. Software AG had previously acquired webMethods in 2007, which was three years into my career as a webMethods consultant and partner. We stayed with Software AG as a partner ever since Avella was founded in 2007.
The webMethods integration suite has successfully automated and integrated clients worldwide. It is one of the few integration tools that has never undergone a breaking change. The integrations I wrote in 2004 are still running on the latest version today. This demonstrates the commitment of the vendor to safeguarding client investments.
Avella and IBM are also partners in this space both in Norway and Sweden. IBM also has a great pedigree within the integration space. IBM MQ is 30 years this year and I am quite certain 90% of all financial transactions worldwide run through IBM software. IBM API Connect has won a number of awards for its usability and features. The list goes on.
IBM acquired Red Hat in 2019 and with it came RedHat Enterprise Linux and OpenShift - to keep it short - this is more or less the internet’s operating system. For Avella this has been great since we now deliver cloud native solutions with IBM. There are many acquisitions made by IBM in the past year that are exciting for the integration space. NoName for API security, Instana for observability and StepZen for GraphQL to name a few important ones for me as CTO of Avella.
It is safe to say that IBM and the webMethods suite of integration tools are great for Avella Norway and Avella Sweden and a great match for IBM. It will be exciting to see how IBM positions webMethods within their already great offering - IBM Cloud Pak for Integration. The possibilities are endless.
Our customers can now rest assured that their investment in webMethods over the years is now part of IBM, a large corporation that has been heavily investing in integration for a long time.
Best wished and happy integrating, Thor Ingham CTO of Avella
In 2022, I was recognized as an #IBMChampion for Automation, and this recognition was renewed for 2023. Additionally, I launched a podcast called "Fogplug - People, Process, and Technology", which is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. You can also find my blog at fogplug.com.