Stratus Cloud Award
ProcessMaker was honored today as a 2017 Stratus Cloud Award Finalist in the category of Cloud Disruptor. ProcessMaker received the recognition from the Stratus Cloud Award judges thanks to the new ProcessMaker I/O workflow engine microservices API.
Microservice Architectures
The idea of microservices is not a new idea. However, for the past few years many more companies have developed products based on true microservices architectures with REST API interfaces. Today, there are now more APIs available, more ways to convert existing data and services into APIs, and more API management platforms. All of this continues to feed itself and generate more and more value to the API driven economy. This is why ProcessMaker was honored with a Stratus Cloud Award.
Just the Beginning for Microservice APIs
We are just at the start of a brave new world of APIs. In this world APIs form the building blocks of the next generation of software and web enabled services. Although APIs have been around for quite a while, the REST API is relatively new and very easy to understand. Furthermore, the idea of an “always on” consumable service is relatively new and transformative.
ProcessMaker I/O received a stratus cloud award because it is a highly resilient, highly scalable workflow engine microservice that orchestrates both human workflow and workflow between microservices. Users can sign up for a free developer account and launch as many cloud microservice workflow engines as needed. Each engine scales transparently for the user. The ProcessMaker I/O engine handles all the complexities of horizontal and vertical scaling behind the scenes. As a result developers can easily incorporate our API into their enterprise app, and they can focus on building great software.
Workflow API vs. iPaaS
This type of microservices orchestration engine is different than the iPaaS (integration platform as a service) approach offered by companies like Mulesoft, Zapier, Flowgear, Dell Boomi, and others. In fact, the offering from ProcessMaker I/O is complementary to existing iPaaS services. The focus of the iPaaS solutions tends to be a sequential connector to connector based approach to coordinating microservices. For pure integration scenarios this is the appropriate solution. However, often companies need a more process centric approach. I am referring to situations where there is an end to end business process which involves complex rules and business logic. Additionally, these processes also will involve human actors, AND integrations between REST APIs. It may make sense to build a ZAP inside zapier, for example, and then call it from a larger end to end ProcessMaker I/O process. In summary this is how iPaas and a Workflow API can coexist together.
Sophisticated Business Process Logic
ProcessMaker I/O wraps the pure microservices orchestration with a BPMN powered workflow engine. The BPMN 2.0 specification provides a level of sophistication that traditional iPaaS workflow cannot provide. The ProcessMaker I/0 API can execute sophisticated processes. For example, the process can include parallel routing, escalation routing, automated error handling, time-out paths, and elegant interaction with human review and approval tasks.
The fact that the ProcessMaker API is “always on” in the cloud makes it simple and easy to use. A user can generate an API in seconds. There is no lengthy SaaS service signup or confusing user based price plans.
We are proud to have received the Stratus Cloud Award from the Business Intelligence group. ProcessMaker I/O truly is a disruptive new business, and we are excited to help businesses drive enormous amounts of new value. Try it out today.
