Paul Krill
Editor at Large

Business process modeling spec set for 2010 adoption

news
Dec 18, 20092 mins

Vendors like IBM and Oracle are backing version 2.0 of the OMG technology

The OMG (Object Management Group) expects to have a final version of the BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation) 2.0  specification, featuring capabilities such as collaborative process modeling, adopted in mid-2010, OMG said on Friday.

Approved in a beta format in September, BPMN 2.0  also includes choreography and a common file format to ensure interoperability between BPMN tools in a multi-vendor environment. The file format also fosters alignment between business and IT.

[ The Eclipse Foundation has touted a BPMN editor as part of its SOA Tools Platform Project. ]

The first version of BPMN provided a graphical notation for specifying and documenting business processes, emphasizing orchestration processes. BPMN 1.x resulted in more than 60 implementations of the specification. But version 1.x did not define an interchange format for exchanging models in a standard way between different tools, and it did not feature a native executable format.

“BPMN is one of the most widely adopted modeling standards for business analysis,” said Richard Mark Soley, OMG chairman and CEO, in a statement released by the organization. “It addresses the entire range of business modeling from people to systems to analytics and intelligence. As stewards of this important and popular specification, it is important for us to respond to changing market requirements and advancing technology by maintaining BPMN and keeping it current as user and vendor needs evolve.”

BPMN 2.0-supportive tools are expected next year. Supporters of BPMN 2.0 include companies such as IBM, Oracle, Red Hat, SAP, and Tibco.

“BPMN 2.0 will accelerate the adoption of business process management tools and methodologies, which will in turn drive even more value from continuous process optimization techniques used within enterprises,” said Karla Norsworthy, vice president of standards at IBM, in OMG’s statement.  “IBM is providing initial support for BPMN 2.0 in WebSphere Business Modeler 7.0.”

Lacking from the list of supporters on OMG’s statement was Microsoft, which joined OMG last year.  An OMG representative said she could not say whether or not the company supported BPMN 2.0.  Microsoft could not be reached for comment on Friday afternoon.

This story, “Business process modeling spec set for 2010 adoption,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com.

Paul Krill

Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld. Paul has been covering computer technology as a news and feature reporter for more than 35 years, including 30 years at InfoWorld. He has specialized in coverage of software development tools and technologies since the 1990s, and he continues to lead InfoWorld’s news coverage of software development platforms including Java and .NET and programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Go. Long trusted as a reporter who prioritizes accuracy, integrity, and the best interests of readers, Paul is sought out by technology companies and industry organizations who want to reach InfoWorld’s audience of software developers and other information technology professionals. Paul has won a “Best Technology News Coverage” award from IDG.

More from this author