Modernizing the UI Level
 
Retain knowledge of business processes while providing the ability to open up the architecture for global access

 
INFINITEweb - Built-in Legacy modernization
Estimates are that about 70% of IT budgets are allocated to maintaining legacy applications. While these legacy applications have been custom-developed and control the majority of a company’s operations, they lack direct and open access for efficient technological solutions. Typically the optimal solution for companies is to be able to retain the strengths of their legacy code and at the same time layer on newer technologies.

Companies and developers are employing SOA methodology (service oriented architecture) into their enterprise information technology to expose legacy application functionality and data as Web Services. SOA allows companies to reuse legacy functionality, leveraging the operational qualities of the legacy transaction platform to new IT projects. Legacy application functionality and data can be exposed as web services at the screen or transaction level, and thereby integrate with any other environments that invoke Web Services such as Java and .NET. Use of SOA can vary from simple integration projects to integration of legacy applications with other enterprise applications and the web.

INFINITEweb
INFINITE products fulfill the requirement to retain knowledge of business processes while providing the ability to open up the architecture for global access of applications and information. INFINITEweb enables those systems to work with new open applications that recognize web services. INFINITEweb makes ordinary inflexible systems openly accessible. Moreover, the tools provide the flexibility to retain the current Midrange or mainframe host, or migrate to an INFINITE host.

INFINITEweb is a multi-function front-end product for Midrange and Mainframe platforms that provides true Windows functionality, encompassing a number of features to extend legacy applications -- a visual editor to design graphical renderings of text screens, browser deployment, redesign of workflow, enterprise and Internet integration and support for smart clients, wireless, handheld and Infinite BI clients.

INFINITEweb can provide the development environment to make traditional business applications easier to deploy and support from a centrally managed server. It is comprised of several components: the INFINITEweb Visual Designer Framework Extensions using Web Services, Application Modules (Plug-Ins) and INFINITEweb Visual Designer.

INFINITEweb Visual Designer Framework Extensions
INFINITEweb Visual Designer Framework Extensions perform two important functions – a Visual Designer to do screen customizations and Application Module management so applications from the IBM iSeries (AS/400), IBM Mainframe, Linux, UNIX, and NT environments will share a common user interface as well as to integrate transparently.

INFINITEweb Service manages communications between the host and client:
 
Client accesses via browser to the target URL
 
   		The data stream is consumed by Infinite Web to produce a representation in the XML format
  XML content is altered by a series of Application Modules designed to apply recognition and customization rules

INFINITEweb Application Module layer available to developers to add functionality to their system, to call other programs, to exchange data, to consolidate multiple screens into one and to integrate the legacy application with new modules created in Visual Designer.

The INFINITEweb Visual Designer is a visual editing tool that provides a feature rich environment to developers. It offers a host of features:
 
Support for multiple graphical templates
  Development and production version management
 
 		Extended scripting object model (exposing transient memory collection and controls)
 
 		Controls and graphical objects including Graphic Labels, Charts, Toolbar, Calculator, Link Labels, Date-time Picker, Month Calendar, Tree View, Control, Tab Control, Timer, Group Box, Numeric Up and Down, Track Bar, Progress Bar, Status Bar
Container controls
Help provider
Screen additions, consolidations and deletions
 
The Applications Module provides a studio environment for enterprise and web integration via web services. This offers many benefits to developers:
 
 
 		Reduced IT costs with browser deployment for local and remote clients using a variety of devices via the Internet, Intranet (LAN), and Extranet (WAN)
 
 		Range of options for new development – within legacy code, Visual Studio, external databases – or via APIs using Properties and Methods instead of screens
 
 		Reengineered workflow to accommodate changing business processes
 
 		Transparent integration that allows other applications to talk directly with legacy application
 
 		Documents Subscription allowing users to subscribe to documents be received on demand or at regularly scheduled intervals.


 
SOA

Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an evolution of distributed processing and the Internet. SOA is a methodology, it not a programming tool such as web services, Microsoft.NET, Java, XML, etc. Rather, these are tools to implement SOA architecture.

INFINITE Software uses SOA in the implementation web services for portals, integration and legacy modernization and workflow reengineering projects. The objective is to revise these older internal processes and interfaces and transition them to more flexible web services.

SOA and web services help INFINITE Software achieve very important modernization needs.
 
 
 		 Enable legacy applications to operate in today’s technology environment.
 
 		 Integrate Midrange or mainframe legacy systems with the enterprise – Microsoft desktop and newer Java applications that need to be able to interact.
 
 		 Replace most of the current hard-coded interfaces with services that can be used within the enterprise intranet, business extranet and the Internet.
 
 		 Extend and expand organizational reach with web-based B2B, B2C and B2E portals

 
 
 
 

TRADEMARKS

Copyright © 2008 INFINITE Software. IBM Midrange,AS/400, OS/400 and System/36 are registered trademarks of the IBM Corporation.Windows, Internet Explorer, Visual Basic,VB Scripting are registered trademarks of Microsoft. INFINITEweb, INFINITE BI, INFINITEiSeries, INFINITE 36 are registered trademarks of INFINITE Software. All other product and brand names are registered trademarks of their respective companies. No part of this document may be reproduced without written permission of INFINITE Software.