K2 Rebuilds Its Low-Code Platform for the Cloud
K2 today unveiled its low-code development platform for the next generation of applications. In advance of the Microsoft Ignite conference, the visitor has announced K2 Cloud, a new managed cloud service with a completely redesigned user experience (UX), advanced analytics and security features, and a host of visual workflow automation and app creation tools.
The veteran business app development and process automation company is also rolling out K2 Five, a new version of its flagship on-premises platform with the aforementioned modernized UX and capabilities. K2 Deject and K2 5 volition be available in the next few weeks and will have characteristic parity at launch, but K2 Deject will release updates at a much faster cadence. K2 founder and CEO Adriaan van Wyk said the K2 Deject represents some fundamental shifts in the company's software strategy.
"We had to rethink our cloud platform from the ground up," said van Wyk. "The cloud has forged a new generation of user experience, a new generation of users edifice that experience. We came from a world where it was forms, workflows, data, and integrations. With the pieces we're aircraft [this month], nosotros're adding pretty deep analytics, cloud security, and governance."
A Deject-Up Rebuild
K2 Cloud revamps the existing low-code toolset around 8 core feature areas: analytics, flexible deployment, mobile responsiveness, point-and-click integrations, pre-built apps, security and governance, visual forms, and workflow automation. Inside that, the visitor has also redesigned the App Magician, K2 Workflow Designer, and K2 Workspace experiences.
"We've added significant new capabilities to the user interface [UI] that permit knowledge workers within an organization to build and deploy their own applications and solutions. In one case y'all've done that, K2 tin can heighten those apps and add capabilities," said van Wyk. "The fashion we've congenital workflows and forms into existing data makes it easy for the non-technical people to swallow that information and add integrations, analytics, and mobile, and manage the whole deployment lifecycle."
K2 Workspace is the platform's customizable central portal, giving you quick admission to forms and folders, quick reports, and a filtered view of awaiting deportment and tasks. The real ability, nonetheless, is in the redesigned Workflow Designer, which has what K2 describes as an "infinite canvas" elevate-and-drop UI plus a feature chosen Smart Assist that surfaces relevant data and guides users and developers on logical steps in the workflow.
"We came upwards with what we call a 'smart object layer' that allows you lot to build applications in the cloud, with real-time access to on-premises data that's protected by on-premises systems. If you're happy with your data on-premises in your SAP organization, then leave it there," said van Wyk.
The new designer supports more than complex logic patterns such as looping, parallel flows, rework, serial flows, and more. K2 also provides access to its Residue application programming interface (API) for workflows.
Van Wyk also highlighted that the K2 App Wizard and new responsive UI work beyond all major devices. The platform offers a option of pre-built apps and workflows that integrate with platforms such as Microsoft SharePoint and Salesforce plus office-based governance tools.
"We desire to give you security, compliance, and peace of mind. In that location are always non-technical people edifice applications in the cloud against SAP or other cloud services," said van Wyk. "You build them once and they will automatically or intelligently modify themselves regardless of the device, be it an iPhone, Android, or desktop. You don't have to build four or five versions of the application to make information technology piece of work."
How K2 Stacks Upwards
K2 was one of the outset companies to begin defining what is now the low-code evolution space. Between 1999 and 2001, Appian, K2, and OutSystems were amid the pioneers that applied procedure automation and visual UIs to simplify the business app creation process. Van Wyk said what really makes K2 unique compared to other vendors is scale.
"There are good players out in that location in the low-lawmaking space already," said van Wyk. "We have a lot of respect for Appian and the business those guys accept built. Then yous've got newer platforms like Microsoft PowerApps and Menses; [Appian] sells to 19 customers a year [according to their IPO filing], whereas nosotros sell to hundreds of customers and are moving to a model to sell to thousands.
"When you lot practise it at that scale, it's a different level of innovation," he connected. "Microsoft is a huge engineering partner for us on everything from Azure to vocalism, but with Menstruation and PowerApps, it'due south nigh as if yous're comparison Duplo blocks with Lego technique."
Van Wyk added that K2 integrates with Microsoft Menses. To illustrate the scale of deployment he was talking about, van Wyk gave client examples including oil and gas company Vanquish (which is using K2 enterprise apps to manage well deployments around the world), personal intendance product manufacturer Kimberly Clark, and firms Accenture and PwC (which are transitioning from on-premises systems to the cloud). All told, the company has more than iv,000 customers, including what van Wyk said is more than 30 percent of the Fortune 500.
"The cloud tin can get this massive accelerator for how a company similar Kimberly Clark managed to build a m applications integrated with existing systems without programmer resource, with us laying down the building blocks," van Wyk explained. "Nosotros have partners like Accenture, PwC, and local regional partners around the world to assistance bear this into market and to existing customers."
Where Low-Lawmaking Meets Voice AI
The most innovative aspects of K2's low-code platform will come in the adjacent year or so equally the company begins rolling out the ability for anyone to create voice-enabled apps. Imagine a drag-and-driblet, form-based UI that brings artificial intelligence (AI ) and machine learning (ML) capabilities to everyday business users, giving them the ability to build things such every bit chatbots directly into enterprise apps. Van Wyk said natural vox apps are K2's next major priority equally the low-code infinite evolves.
"We're pushing into natural voice and machine learning applications that companies can build with drag-and-drop in a simple manner. This is something we're hoping to bring to market in the side by side 12 months," said van Wyk. "Not only is this a massive jump forward for customers, it'southward also an accelerator platform that volition plough science fiction into reality in months, not years."
K2 Deject will exist on brandish from September 25-29 at Microsoft Ignite in Orlando.
About Rob Marvin
Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/news/17526/k2-rebuilds-its-low-code-platform-for-the-cloud
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