Open Management Interface (OMI) Specification Version 1.0 Available

webMethods and HP Announce Availability of the Open Management Interface (OMI) Specification Version 1.0

Companies Answer Customer Demand for Management of Integration Platforms, Business Processes and Web Services

Fairfax, VA. USA and Palo Alto, CA, USA. April 18, 2002.

webMethods, Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Company today announced the general availability of the Open Management Interface (OMI) Specification Version 1.0. OMI is an open specification, jointly authored by webMethods and HP, which defines a standards-based (XML/SOAP/HTTP) management interface. With OMI, customers will be able to use leading systems management tools to effectively manage and monitor business processes, web services and the underlying integration infrastructure that drives their businesses. The specification allows customers to leverage their existing investment in HP OpenView and other systems management offerings by extending those tools to include management of the webMethods integration platform.

"With the release of the OMI specification, companies are able to manage their mission-critical infrastructure with complete visibility from top to bottom," said Jim Green, CTO and executive vice president of product development for webMethods. "For the first time, it's possible for businesses to correlate a deep knowledge of their integration systems and associated business processes with the status of their overall IT environment. This provides immediate insight into the status of their business by providing a deeper understanding of how different systems impact specific business processes."

Using the OMI specification in conjunction with the webMethods integration platform and HP OpenView software, companies can include business processes and web services into Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) with customers, vendors and suppliers. If a process fails to work - for example, the processing of a purchase order is delayed or cancelled - a company can determine if it is due to a system being down or if it is a breakdown in the business process itself. In addition, the combination of a business process management and integration platform with systems management technology allows companies to know which business processes will be affected if any given system or application fails and take actions to correct it.

"The OMI specification represents the next generation of thinking in infrastructure management. To remain competitive, today's enterprise and service provider businesses need to manage integration systems and business processes as part of managing their complete infrastructure environment," said Patty Azzarello, vice president and general manager, HP OpenView Business Unit. "With comprehensive management capabilities, companies can provide their users with higher overall quality of service and ensure that SLA commitments are met or exceeded."

By supporting the OMI specification, HP OpenView software now manages the webMethods integration platform as it does other critical business technologies, such as networks, systems, storage, applications and databases. By supporting the OMI specification, webMethods will enable HP OpenView users to manage the webMethods integration platform from the same management console used for the management of all other IT resources.

Customers Such as MassMutual Benefit from OMI Specification

The OMI specification initiative was driven by customer requirements. In particular, major companies highlighted the need to use their existing investment in systems management software to manage the webMethods integration platform. The OMI specification was designed to meet these customer requirements by establishing a simple interface for managing the health of the integration infrastructure. MassMutual, one of the early users of the technology, has been actively involved in the testing and evaluation process.

"In order to keep our business up and running, it's imperative that our integration system continuously function at peak capacity," said Leo Sun, System Specialist for MassMutual. "It made sense for us to use HP OpenView to manage the integration platform - it's what we use to manage many of our other mission-critical systems. The webMethods integration platform controls the flow of information between multiple applications within MassMutual. If information stops moving, business processes break down. By managing webMethods software through HP OpenView, we have the highest confidence that we'll be able to pinpoint potential problems before they occur, and immediately identify and address them."

Availability

webMethods and HP plan to deliver OMI-based versions of their products in the early summer. To receive more information about OMI, and to download the specification, visit either the webMethods web site at www.webMethods.com or the HP OpenView web site at www.openview.hp.com.

About HP

Hewlett-Packard Company -- a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services -- is focused on making technology and its benefits accessible to all. HP had total revenue of $45.2 billion in its 2001 fiscal year. Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.

About webMethods

webMethods, Inc. is a leading provider of integration software. The webMethods integration platform allows customers to achieve quantifiable R.O.I. by linking business processes, enterprise and legacy applications, databases and workflows both within and across enterprises. By deploying the webMethods integration platform, customers reduce costs, create new revenue opportunities, strengthen relationships with customers, substantially increase supply chain efficiencies and streamline internal business processes. Founded in 1996, webMethods is headquartered in Fairfax, Va., with offices throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. webMethods has more than 750 customers worldwide including Global 2000 leaders such as Citibank, Dell, Eastman Chemical, The Ford Motor Company, Grainger, and Motorola. webMethods' strategic partners include Accenture, AMS, BMC Software, BroadVision, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Deloitte Consulting, EDS, Hewlett-Packard Company, i2 Technologies, J.D. Edwards, KPMG Consulting, Microsoft, Oracle Corp., SAP AG and Siebel Systems. More information about the company can be found at http://www.webMethods.com

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive.

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OMI is an open specification, jointly authored by webMethods and HP, which defines a standards-based (XML/SOAP/HTTP) management interface. With OMI, customers will be able to use leading systems management tools to effectively manage and monitor business processes, web services and the underlying integration infrastructure that drives their businesses. The specification allows customers to leverage their existing investment in HP OpenView and other systems management offerings by extending those tools to include management of the webMethods integration platform. "With the release of the OMI specification, companies are able to manage their mission-critical infrastructure with complete visibility from top to bottom," said Jim Green, CTO and executive vice president of product development for webMethods. "For the first time, it's possible for businesses to correlate a deep knowledge of their integration systems and associated business processes with the status of their overall IT environment. This provides immediate insight into the status of their business by providing a deeper understanding of how different systems impact specific business processes." Using the OMI specification in conjunction with the webMethods integration platform and HP OpenView software, companies can include business processes and web services into Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) with customers, vendors and suppliers. If a process fails to work - for example, the processing of a purchase order is delayed or cancelled - a company can determine if it is due to a system being down or if it is a breakdown in the business process itself. In addition, the combination of a business process management and integration platform with systems management technology allows companies to know which business processes will be affected if any given system or application fails and take actions to correct it. "The OMI specification represents the next generation of thinking in infrastructure management. To remain competitive, today's enterprise and service provider businesses need to manage integration systems and business processes as part of managing their complete infrastructure environment," said Patty Azzarello, vice president and general manager, HP OpenView Business Unit. "With comprehensive management capabilities, companies can provide their users with higher overall quality of service and ensure that SLA commitments are met or exceeded." By supporting the OMI specification, HP OpenView software now manages the webMethods integration platform as it does other critical business technologies, such as networks, systems, storage, applications and databases. By supporting the OMI specification, webMethods will enable HP OpenView users to manage the webMethods integration platform from the same management console used for the management of all other IT resources. Customers Such as MassMutual Benefit from OMI Specification The OMI specification initiative was driven by customer requirements. In particular, major companies highlighted the need to use their existing investment in systems management software to manage the webMethods integration platform. The OMI specification was designed to meet these customer requirements by establishing a simple interface for managing the health of the integration infrastructure. MassMutual, one of the early users of the technology, has been actively involved in the testing and evaluation process. "In order to keep our business up and running, it's imperative that our integration system continuously function at peak capacity," said Leo Sun, System Specialist for MassMutual. "It made sense for us to use HP OpenView to manage the integration platform - it's what we use to manage many of our other mission-critical systems. The webMethods integration platform controls the flow of information between multiple applications within MassMutual. If information stops moving, business processes break down. By managing webMethods software through HP OpenView, we have the highest confidence that we'll be able to pinpoint potential problems before they occur, and immediately identify and address them." Availability webMethods and HP plan to deliver OMI-based versions of their products in the early summer. To receive more information about OMI, and to download the specification, visit either the webMethods web site at www.webMethods.com or the HP OpenView web site at www.openview.hp.com. About HP Hewlett-Packard Company -- a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services -- is focused on making technology and its benefits accessible to all. HP had total revenue of $45.2 billion in its 2001 fiscal year. Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com. About webMethods webMethods, Inc. is a leading provider of integration software. The webMethods integration platform allows customers to achieve quantifiable R.O.I. by linking business processes, enterprise and legacy applications, databases and workflows both within and across enterprises. By deploying the webMethods integration platform, customers reduce costs, create new revenue opportunities, strengthen relationships with customers, substantially increase supply chain efficiencies and streamline internal business processes. Founded in 1996, webMethods is headquartered in Fairfax, Va., with offices throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. webMethods has more than 750 customers worldwide including Global 2000 leaders such as Citibank, Dell, Eastman Chemical, The Ford Motor Company, Grainger, and Motorola. webMethods' strategic partners include Accenture, AMS, BMC Software, BroadVision, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Deloitte Consulting, EDS, Hewlett-Packard Company, i2 Technologies, J.D. Edwards, KPMG Consulting, Microsoft, Oracle Corp., SAP AG and Siebel Systems. More information about the company can be found at http://www.webMethods.com Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive.