Forte Traditional AD Tools
Still Shine at Sun

Following the Sun acquisition, Forte's future is in its Java-based tools. However, its traditional AD tools, including its leading E-OO4GL, continue to add value.

Key Issue
What strategies, technologies, tools and vendors will best enable the effective development of enterprise-class applications during the next five years?

Strategic Planning Assumption
Through 2002, the gap between E-AD tool market leaders and nonleaders will widen, and at least two-thirds of these vendors will be either relegated to niche roles, acquired or forced out of business (0.8 probability).

On 20 October 1999, Sun acquired Forte Software (see Note 1). Sun had strategic designs on Forte's new Java AD tool, Forte for Java Enterprise Edition (formerly called SynerJ — see Note 2), and its enterprise application integration (EAI) technology, Forte Fusion. Also acquired was the leading E- OO4GL, Forte 4GL (see Note 3). While Forte for Java is far more strategic to Sun than the Forte 4GL ADE, numerous reasons point to the continued enhancement of the 4GL for at least the next five years (0.8 probability). First, the 4GL sales represent more than 50 percent of Forte revenues. Second, there is a solid base of key 4GL customers and third-party alliance partners with major investments in the ADE who are also key customers and prospects of Sun. Third, most IS organizations are not yet ready to commit to only Java for their enterprise-scale AD needs. Fourth, logic is currently added using the 4GL to the processes in Fusion (Java scripting will also be supported in a future release). Finally, the ability to integrate 4GL-generated C++ and Forte for Java applications in Fusion provides Sun with a needed traditional AD to Java transition strategy message.

Headquarters: Oakland, California
Web Location: www.sun.com/forte
Founded: 1991
Ownership: Public (since March 1996)
Employees: 500*
Financial Data: 1999 — $80 million*
*Gartner estimates.
Strategic Partners: Apple Computer; Data General; Digital Equipment; IBM; Mitsubishi; Netscape Communications; Sequent Computer Systems

Source: Gartner

Note 2
Product Strategy

To be a premium value-added, premium-priced AD technology market consolidator targeting Global 1,000 organizations as well as independent software vendors and value-added resellers (VARs) that sell to Global 5,000 enterprises.

Source: Gartner

Note 3
Forte 4GL 3.0

Clients: Windows 3.1, 95 and NT; Macintosh; Motif and HTML Web

Servers: DG/UX, Digital (VAX/VMS, Alpha/VMS, Alpha/Unix, Alpha/NT), HP-UX, IBM RS/6000, Sequent, Siemens-Nixdorf, Sun Solaris, Windows (Intel) NT

Middleware/TP Monitors: DCE, ActiveX, DCOM, MQSeries, Encina, Tuxedo

ORBs: CORBA/IIOP (Orbix, Visigenics, Digital — now BEA)

Databases: DB2/6000, Informix, Ingres, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase and ODBC

Source: Gartner

About a third of all Forte software sales in 1999 were led by projects using the Fusion integration suite. Even IS organizations whose "buy" decision was focused on the 4GL heavily factored in the advantages of the integrated Fusion Extensible Markup Language (XML)/XSL backbone run-time framework. Fusion includes a business process automation technology, previously known as Forte Conductor, which is light on modeling and good on implementation. It can be used to define the flow of business processes, decompose them into subprocess workflows (e.g., flows based on events) and store them in Fusion. These subprocesses can be associated with COM+ or JavaCORBA components or legacy and packaged applications through Fusion XML-based messaging and "adapters."

External applications (including those built using other technologies, such as VisualBasic and Java) can invoke the Fusion-based workflow process through a direct API or XML-based messaging. Fusion will then execute the workflow process across heterogeneous platforms, databases and application servers and middleware — connecting "anything to anything" — and return the result to the invoking application. When developers use the Forte 4GL ADE and Fusion, they get an integrated environment which delivers applications having key enterprise-scale functionality features, such as built-in fault tolerance, transaction support, load balancing, performance monitoring, component consistency checking, dynamic application repartitioning and support for parallel processing.

Though the main emphasis of the ADE is on the design and construction phases of C++ applications, it also has bridges to leading OO modeling tools like Rational's Rose for a best-of-breed solution. While the ADE does not require the use of pure OO principles, most customers choose it because of its repository-based OO support, including features like dynamic inheritance. The Forte architecture comes with prebuilt class libraries and permits COM+ and CORBA components built outside of the ADE to be included in the assembly process. Many customers purchase the ADE primarily as a component assembly and run-time environment for other tools like VisualBasic, with the ADE having powerful extension capabilities.

In addition to the 4GL, the Forte ADE includes two other bundled technologies: 1) Forte Express, which rapidly generates the user interface and database access components for distributed applications; and 2) Forte WebEnterprise, which enables Web browsers to function as Forte clients with full access to the Forte infrastructure. WebEnterprise allows the use of HTML or Java to communicate with supported Forte application servers, databases and platforms.

Forte Software had one of the best vendor visions on product direction, with a good track record for implementation, given its priorities and resources. Now, as Sun's Forte Tools group, it must demonstrate that it can continue on that path and successfully use Sun's channels while remaining an independent development organization. Forte remains popular with technology, service, VAR and component partners worldwide.

---

Strengths:

• Strong OO4GL prototyping capability that generates efficient C++ code for heterogeneous client/server platforms
• Solid XML-based multitier client/server management features, including default partitioning, fault tolerance and change management
• Designed for high-volume, mission-critical applications across numerous topologies (not just fat server and thin client)

Challenges:

• To grow a base of independent ESPs trained in Forte tools
• Like all E-AD tool vendors, to find ways to shorten the learning curve and simplify tool usage
• To more seamlessly integrate the Forte 4GL and Forte for Java technologies in the development environment

Consider This Product When:

• A strong multitier client/server management system is needed
• There is a need for high-volume, distributed applications on heterogeneous platforms
• The enterprise is comfortable with object technology

Consider Alternatives When:

• Developing small-scale applications
• Availability of a large trained base of developers and consultants in the technology is a requirement
• The initial cost of purchase is of greater importance than total cost of ownership

---

Acronym Key
4GL — Fourth-generation language
ADE — Applications development environment
API — Application programming interface
CORBA — Common Object Request Broker
E-OOGL — Enterprise object-oriented fourth-generation language
OO — Object-oriented
OO4GL — Object-oriented fourth-generation language
ORB — Object request broker

Bottom Line: The traditional Forte ADE and Fusion EAI sales are exceeding expectations, while its visionary Java tools are just entering an evolving market. While it has yet to be determined whether Sun's Forte Tools group can capture a leader's mind share with Forte for Java, it will remain an E-OO4GL market leader through at least 2004 (0.8 probability).

Gartner's Application Development & Management Strategies Research Note P-10-8825, 1 May 2000.

Entire contents © 2000 by Gartner Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. GartnerGroup disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. GartnerGroup shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. The reader assumes sole responsibility for the selection of these materials to achieve its intended results. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.