Lumenations

Correction to a previous press release

2007-07-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a note that there was a mistake in some versions of the press release that we put out on June 18th entitled, Lumen Software's New PostgreSQL LAPP Stack Offers Commercial Alternative to MySQL LAMP Solutions. The quote from Josh Berkus of the PostgreSQL Core Team should be,

"Lumen software is showing their customers how a more robust, scalable open source database can lead to more robust online applications," said Josh Berkus, a member of PostgreSQL's Core Team. "We're glad that they've chosen PostgreSQL as the basis for their SaaS framework, and expect that other web developer tools vendors will see how the features, security and reliability of PostgreSQL helps make application maintenance easier and rapid design changes easier to accommodate."

My apologies to Josh for the mistake, thanks for pointing it out to us, and good luck at the upcoming LinuxWorld conference.

Development Platform for Collaborative Environments

2007-06-28T14:51:00.002-07:00

Linux is an awesome development platform for building collaborative environments. It’s easy to get started building productive applications with JBoss, Ruby on Rails, and PHP, just to name a few. Linux gives developers enormous power by making it easy for them to build on the work of others. Linux serves as a stable platform for web servers, databases, and scripting languages. Probably the most famous development platform is the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP/Python/Perl). An alternative is the LAPP stack, which substitutes the open source PostgreSQL database for MySQL.

Just as Ruby on Rails accelerated Ruby development, a new system called Lumenation turbocharges LAMP/LAPP development and makes it easy to create complex AJAX applications in PHP.

Lumenation turns on LAMP and LAPP capabilities such as secure Software as a Service (SaaS) application modules at the flick of a few software switches in PHP. Or, with the push of a few software buttons you can create a graphical desktop in a browser with drag and drop icons.

Lumenation makes creating secure graphical web-based applications so easy that developers will soon forget that they ever had problems building high performance AJAX applications.

Many people that modify scripts don’t consider themselves developers. Lumenation brings the full power of AJAX, PHP, and Linux to these so-called non-technical people that don’t want to get bogged down in development. For developers, Lumenation brings instant role-based security and an instant GUI and menu system immediately accessible from PHP.

The Lumenation Environment is inherently a user role-based environment which allows for excellent control of menus, applications, content, user interfaces (virtual desktops), and data. No other environment provides this much control in so little time. SaaS options can be easily added and managed at a hosted location or onsite. This includes support for single enterprise (an organization with many locations) or multiple enterprise hosting with management on a single server.

A standardized GUI framework is included for all applications and allows each SaaS user to customize the GUI to their individual preferences. Lumenation provides “managed virtual AJAX desktops” -- known as Lumenation’s z-Windows engine -- which can feature Lumenation Interactive Components (IC’s). For example, a quick creation of a dialogue window is provided, but it adheres to the framework controls inherently. It’s a joy to program in this kind of environment.

Lumenation Environment points:
• Access to your current databases for read only or update through Lumenation simultaneously;
• Inherent record locking regardless of the database utilized;
• Extensive User Journaling for portal access, applications, and records accessed;
• Based on the Linux, Apache, PostgreSQL, PHP (LAPP) or LAMP stack

Further, the Lumenation SDK is extensive. It includes pull down driven Application Builder, robust DB Manager, Code Editor, and much more.
The Lumenation Environment by itself provides an excellent portal / intranet solution as well. It is a complete “out-of-the-box” solution for virtually any organization that needs to incorporate a user/user application managed, multi-tasking, browser-based access system for all their applications.
So, imagine this. As a developer starting a new project, most of the tedious programming chores are taken care of automatically. At the same time, you are provided with an extremely rich, user-customizable environment with requires extremely minimal effort on your part.

Check it out. It’s free for download here.

Response to PostgreSQL post

2007-06-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

It’s always nice to know people are reading my blog and blogging about it themselves, even if they are disagreeing with what I’ve written. This is an excerpt from Jay Pipes’ blog, he is the Community Relations Manager, North America for MySQL. Naturally, he took issue with my previous post (see comments on last post), but it seems he does agree that different database systems are better suited for some projects than others.

"No piece of software fits every use case. Ask a guy who is 6 foot 6 inches tall whether 'one size fits all' really does. It doesn't. And, likewise, database management systems will never fit all needs. And I don't think they ever should."

Earlier that day, Matt Asay, wrote this in his InfoWorld blog.

“I was just reading a blog post by Lumen Software that declares that "PostgreSQL More Functional for Commercial Open Source SaaS." Highly intriguing, especially given all the traction that MySQL has been getting in this very same market (like its recent win with Bookings.com. Granted, Lumen's post suggests PostreSQL is a better choice for small- to medium-sized businesses utilizing open source SaaS software (and MySQL is perhaps more focused on the Googles of the world?).”

PostgreSQL More Functional for Commercial Open Source SaaS

2007-06-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

At Lumen Software we selected PostgreSQL as the embedded database for our Lumenation environment and applications four years ago. This means we run on a LAPP stack rather than a LAMP stack. This decision has proven to be the right choice as other options such as MySQL even today do not match PostgreSQL’s capabilities. MySQL has made great strides in functionality in recent years and is NOT a bad solution by any means. However, currently, it still lacks some of the more advanced features we need within the Lumenation environment. PostgreSQL provided the database functionality and performance we were used to from commercial solutions. The limitations in MySQL made it actually a very easy decision to choose PostgreSQL.

Here is a very short list of the missing features in MySQL when we made our decision four years ago:
• No Sub-queries
• No Views
• No Triggers
• No Procedures and Functions (except if developed in C++)
• Record Locking for whole table but not for record only

We have re-evaluated MySQL several times over the years. We attended the MySQL conference last year and heard about many changes MySQL was going make during the coming year, so we just recently assembled the team for another review (early 2007). In summary, we’re sticking with PostgreSQL. Below are the findings of this current evaluation.

• Record locking in MySQL can only be set for the whole table. PostgreSQL however is able to record lock at the record level. This is a crucial factor in commercial, heavy traffic transaction based applications. For example, if a user accesses a record for update, in MySQL all other users will wait until that user has updated their information.

• PostgreSQL has Schemas, Triggers and Checks and MySQL does not. These allow us to create logic at the database level which guarantees data integrity.

• PostgreSQL permits the creation of User Types such INT, REAL, etc., as arrays, arrays of arrays, etc. It also uses it as the Type for a Database Field. Developers are able to store and work in these database objects without conversion to regular data types. This allows developers to work with objects on an application level, read and write directly to the database. This provides better performance and data integrity.

• MySQL provides no Inheritance of tables. This allows us to use an Object Oriented Method while developing a Database Structure. This is used when creating and maintenance databases structures.

• There are no sequences in MySQL, only auto_increment. PostgreSQL supports sequences, and this is a very useful tool if you need to store «Master-Detail» joined data. This is also useful if you need to obtain a unique sequence of numbers and guarantee they are unique.

In general our team felt PostgreSQL was more stable and a better solution for complex applications. MySQL is better suited for less complex web applications. Cost was also a factor. MySQL is not free when used commercially. PostgreSQL is under the BSD license, so it may be distributed freely. Because of this we were also able to create a very easy to use installation process for our clients. And, after all, that’s what it’s all about. Providing the best tools for our customers.

Why PHP?

2007-05-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

We’re users and lovers of PHP. We’re unabashed about it, but it’s based on some serious business logic and customer feedback, not just geeky emotion.

It’s not just our opinion, first off. The popularity of the PHP scripting language and development community has been well-documented. Evans Data estimates there are somewhere around 5 million PHP programmers in the world--about 10 times the number of programmers using traditional iSeries tools--compared to about 6.4 million .NET programmers and 5.8 million Java programmers. Moreover, the number of PHP programmers is growing faster than the other two languages.

PHP is, incidentally, open source. For Lumenation and building your own custom apps in our environment, that means there’s no vendor lock-in. PHP is portable and runs on Linux, Windows, i5, OS X, Free BSD, Solaris… and probably any other OS you’re working with. Build your app here, take it somewhere else later. Not a problem. Think you’re going to hear that from Salesforce.com?

PHP is also simple. It’s popular at least partially because you don’t have to be a hard-core programmer. Many web developers use and love PHP. There are an estimated 23 - 25 million Internet domains using PHP, or a bit less than one-third of the Web's total. I hate it when someone uses the backwards logic that something is good cause it’s popular, but, in this case, that’s a lot of people freely choosing it over other options.

It’s really fast, and when utilized with the Lumenation Z-Windows AJAX Engine, it scales big time… What’s not to like?

So, next time someone invites you to try their development environment, pay attention to the language they’re hawking. PHP might be the right language for you and your custom app.

Top 5 Reasons Why Microsoft's Silverlight has no Silver Lining

2007-05-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Traditional on-site software companies are doing their best to make some of their products -- or parts of their products -- on-demand. Microsoft's "software-plus-services" strategy straddles on-site and on-demand and ends up with a solution only fit for companies with deep pockets and a deep love of the Redmond-based software giant. Their latest announcements are around Silverlight, “a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of Microsoft .NET–based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web.”

Smaller companies have better alternatives. Why pay all that money to Microsoft and wait until they get it right? Using the combination of PHP and Ajax is a popular way to design applications that run inside a web browser. PHP/Ajax applications are much more responsive and interactive.

Here’s my Top 5 Reasons Why Small- to Medium-Sized Companies (SMBs) don’t need Silverlight.

1. Silverlight is still in beta. You can fight over who invented Ajax, but Google Maps and other AJAX-enabled sites have been in production since at least 2004. Can your business afford to wait?

2. Silverlight depnds on Javascript and supports Python and Ruby. Why leave out PHP? Evans Data estimates there are somewhere around 5 million PHP programmers in the world. Moreover, the number of PHP programmers is growing faster than .NET and Java.

3. JavaScript is inconsistent across browsers in both API's and performance. Depending on JavaScript to power Silverlight is a mistake.

4. Silverlight works in IE, Safari, Firefox. Support for Linux and Opera is missing, with little prospect of support coming from Microsoft. Zend’s co-founder Andi Gutmans sums it up nicely: "… the reason [AJAX is] popular is because it interoperates well with any browser and operating system. The market wants something that runs everywhere - the mainframe, on Linux, on Power." (Okay, full disclosure here. Our own Lumenation works in IE and Firefox only, so far. Still, it's fair to criticize a company that has the resources to cover all the various browsers but chooses not to.)

5. Microsoft has no plans to open source Silverlight.

An open source take on proprietary SaaS development approaches used by Salesforce.com or Microsoft’s OfficeLive

2007-04-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

NetworkWorld picked up on our open source SaaS portal. "Lumen gives open source some SaaS" They quote the same information we like to talk about surrounding the growing use of PHP and interest in SaaS:

> Lumen says it is going after a critical mass of
> PHP developers — over 5 million worldwide —
> and burgeoning demand for SaaS; it cites an IDC
> survey, where 15% of SMBs said they’re considering
> a move to SaaS.

Lumen Software Launches Commercial Open Source SaaS Portal

2007-04-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

OK, I promise this blog won't be a spot where we just dump all our press releases. But we're coming out with information on our open source SaaS portal for the first time. It's big news. The full release is included here.

Lumen Software Launches Commercial Open Source SaaS Portal
Open and free Lumenation SaaS development platform fulfills needs neglected by infrastructure giants

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, April 4, 2007 – Lumen Software, a leading provider of commercial open source Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and portal solutions, today announced its flagship platform, Lumenation, and the Lumenation Software Development Kit (SDK), are available immediately for free download. The products give PHP and AJAX developers a way to rapidly build, deploy, manage, and sell SaaS applications.

Lumen’s SaaS platform is in use by more than 200 commercial customers with over 150,000 users of on-demand applications. Lumen’s focus on the world’s 5 million PHP developers validates the work of industry pioneers SugarCRM, developers of a large CRM application written in PHP, and Zend, creators of the world’s most popular PHP application platform. Lumenation is the industry’s first PHP platform to focus on SaaS developers, making PHP an effective alternative to proprietary SaaS development platforms such as Saleforce’s AppSpace and Microsoft’s Live Core.

“Lumenation is a superior alternative to proprietary SaaS development languages because the product’s flexibility and openness make development of web-based on- demand applications quick and inexpensive,” said Doug Clark, Managing Partner at RDClark Associates, a Kansas City based independent systems integrator. “Lumenation is easy to customize for people with very basic programming skills. I can easily make a profit for my business by selling commercial Lumenation applications and customization services to smaller sized companies or workgroups within larger organizations.” In March, market analyst firm IDC released a survey of over 1,000 small- to medium- sized businesses, in which between five and 15 percent said they were considering adopting a SaaS solution in the next 12 months.

But Jeff Kaplan, managing director at THINKstrategies, a SaaS consultancy that looks at the level of interest in SaaS among organizations of all sizes, said his research indicated much higher levels of interest. "Our surveys have found that more than 30 percent of organizations are already taking advantage of SaaS alternatives and another 43 percent are considering SaaS options," stated Jeffrey M. Kaplan, managing director at THINKstrategies, a strategic consulting company and also the founder of the SaaS Showplace. "Many businesses and programmers will find the low cost and flexibility of the Lumenation open development environment an attractive platform for more fully leveraging the business benefits of their SaaS solutions."

“Due to the cost-effective open source infrastructure of Lumenation, a new group of smaller businesses can now get customized SaaS and web-portal applications quickly and at a reasonable cost,“ said Tad Gordon, CEO of Lumen Software. “Unlike Salesforce.com and other big vendors that are pushing vendor-specific languages and charging both vendors and customers upfront and recurring fees, Lumen is offering businesses and developers a straightforward and practical alternative: use Lumenation, get the benefits of PHP, Linux, Apache, and pay for commercial SaaS applications only when you need them.”

The Lumenation portal is based on the familiar “desktop” metaphor, and the Lumenation SDK empowers developers of all levels, from expert to novice, to quickly create and deploy new enterprise-class applications according to their business needs.

Key features and functionality include:
• Automated installer for Linux, Apache, PostgreSQL and PHP infrastructure stack;
• Freely available and fully functional Lumenation SaaS application server and
Lumenation SDK;
• Advanced managed web-desktop metaphor with graphical drag and drop, click
and launch, functionality for any application or file;
• Available as a software application that runs in the datacenter or as a hosted
SaaS portal.

Hundreds of commercial applications are already available for the Lumenation portal.

Examples include:
• Small Business Retail Management Suite;
• Help Desk Management System;
• Content Management System;
• Student Information Management System;
• Enterprise Portal;
• Online File Management System.

Pricing and Availability
Lumenation and the Lumenation SDK are immediately available for free download at http://www.lumensoftware.com . Support and professional service contracts are available directly from Lumen Software. Commercial applications can be purchased based either on a perpetual license or a monthly subscription.

About Lumen Software
Lumen Software develops and sells open source and commercial SaaS and web portal software. With over 150,000 installed users and an active community, Lumen’s flagship product Lumenation is leading the way for 5 million PHP developers to rapidly deploy SaaS and portal applications. Built on top of Linux, Apache, PostgreSQL and PHP (LAPP), Lumenation is freely available for download and unlimited use. Commercial modules are also available for sale to small and medium sized businesses as well as ISP’s and ASP’s that want to further reduce development and deployment time. Founded in 1999, Lumen Software is headquartered in Kansas City and is online at http://www.lumensoftware.com .

Getting the scoop on Lumen

2007-04-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hey, C|Net scooped our release set for tomorrow! "Lumen Software makes way for 'LAPP' stack" Here's a partial quote:

> Lumen Software is expected to release a toolkit on Wednesday for
> building hosted applications using the "LAPP" stack, consisting of
> Linux, the Apache Web server, PostgreSQL database and the PHP
> scripting language.

Also, InfoWorld blogged about open source Saas. "Lumen: Open source SaaS" I particularly liked Matt Asay's distinction between truly "wedding" open source and SaaS versus just stealing from open source:

> Most interesting of all, however, is how Lumen and others will wed
> open source with SaaS. Not the "wedding" that consists of lots of
> Web 2.0 companies pilfering open source and giving nothing back
> (or comparatively nothing). But true SaaS companies also existing
> as true open source companies. Lumen seems to be doing this well
> today. It's the exception.