Mendix Puts Intelligent Solutions in the Hands of All Software Developers -- 'Business Events' Introduced; AI and Machine Learning Strengthened and Enhanced

Developers Now Empowered to Easily and Quickly Leverage Reusable Services for Purpose-Built Enterprise Needs

- Prepackaged "Smart Services," workflow templates, and augmented Data Hub empower developers to more easily deliver intelligent automation

- Mendix bolsters core platform capabilities with a new framework connecting external and custom data sources across the enterprise

BOSTON, Sept. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At Mendix World 2021, the largest virtual assembly of low-coders ever, Mendix, a Siemens business and global leader in low-code application development for the enterprise, today announced robust platform enhancements that will accelerate delivery of high-value solutions for the digital-first economy. The newly enhanced capabilities of the Mendix low-code platform empower all makers to orchestrate the next-wave of intelligent solutions for the enterprise by introducing 'business events,' substantive new investments in artificial intelligence for both makers and end users, and next-generation smart services and workflows.

"Mendix Makers are under continuous pressure to go faster. Even after adopting low-code to accelerate development, teams face increased expectations for software delivery," said Johan den Haan, chief technology officer. "The direction we are taking with the platform is to shift makers from always writing software from scratch to more easily finding and connecting to the data and components they need to assemble solutions."

Data Hub 2.0 adds business events as first-class citizens

A highlight of den Haan's Mendix World announcements was a significant set of enhancements to Data Hub, first introduced at last year's event as "low-code for integration." New functionality greatly expands the platform's ability to discover, create, and change data from any system or application. Enhanced data cataloging makes it easier to connect, filter, and utilize massive amounts of data from different platforms, data lakes, and data warehouses across the enterprise's landscape.

Another key capability den Haan announced was the introduction of business events.  As searchable entities within its catalog, business events will be elevated into native, plug-and-play elements that can be used in Studio Pro within any application model.  Adding business events enables Mendix developers to deliver applications more easily, particularly for use cases where end-user satisfaction is paramount, such as new customer onboarding, payment processing, and support ticketing.

"Business is event-driven by nature, with thousands of crucial, discrete events taking place on a daily basis," said den Haan. "A full view of all business events in the enterprise, coupled with the ability to manage and trigger event-driven applications, is a key ingredient in automating business processes in a truly intelligent way."

Mendix also announced a new connector framework for Data Hub which will offer a mechanism for easily connecting to both off-the-shelf and custom data sources throughout the enterprise. Key connectors highlighted by den Haan included data sources common across industries, such as Dropbox, Slack, Microsoft Sharepoint and Dynamics, Twilio, and Salesforce. Additionally, industry-specific connectivity for SAP and Siemens Teamcenter data sources was announced.

AI for development and AI for applications

Showcasing the Mendix low-code platform's pioneering ability to scale rapid application development, day two of Mendix World featured two key AI-related announcements.  First, den Haan introduced the third bot in the Mendix Assist suite: Page Bot. The Page Bot guides software developers in building UI and UX, based on patterns learned from hundreds of millions of anonymized data points by Mendix developers. This newest addition to Mendix Assist (add link) will be available in Studio and Studio Pro, making real-time design and styling recommendations to develop compelling, consumer-grade UI experiences guided by best practices.

Page Bot joins a faster, enhanced version of Mendix Assist Logic Bot that provides next-step logic assistance for developers writing microflows, and Performance Bot that ensures applications follow architectural patterns that optimize for performance.

For organizations looking to incorporate custom machine learning models into their Mendix-developed apps, den Haan also announced the Mendix Machine Learning (ML) Kit.  This is a key capability when business processes and end-user satisfaction rely on specialized machine learning models, such as ones that execute over a proprietary data set or key off a custom parameter.

With the ML Kit, Mendix is applying low-code's abstraction and automation to the often complex and cumbersome integration of AI models.  Eschewing the typical complexities of REST services and APIs, the ML Kit supports drag-and-drop of machine learning models, with automatic translation and execution. Said den Haan, "Assembling purpose-built, relevant apps becomes easier for developers, and the applications themselves provide more value to the end users."

Smart AppServices lead a new wave of intelligent capabilities 

The Mendix commitment to innovation centered on intelligent automation extends beyond simply platform capabilities. As part of its significant investments in the ecosystem, Mendix also announced a new suite of Smart AppServices that provide developers a head start in assembling complex applications. 

These services deliver an extremely strong foundation for digitalizing business workflows, with capabilities centered around document data capture (e.g., processing invoices and receipts), cognitive services (e.g., language and sentiment detection), and messaging (e.g., email and Microsoft Teams). AppServices are flexible and accessible capabilities that can be used to extend existing applications, enhance solutions acquired through the Mendix Marketplace, or as services that are deployed with just a thin application layer. 

To bolster an organization's ability to deliver intelligent automation, Mendix also announced new workflow templates for business processes that are designed to be used with the Mendix Workflow Editor as part of any Mendix application. With workflows for common business activities across HR, finance, and marketing, these templates are designed to further empower business users to participate in the development of software that enables them to do their jobs in this digital-first environment.

Den Haan commented on the value of these new capabilities to deliver intelligent automation: "The powerful enhancements made to the Mendix low-code platform speed and simplify the process of building intelligent solutions for organizations, while easing the transition to what analysts describe as the 'composable enterprise.' Simply put, makers are empowered to accelerate their solution development by building on a foundation of best practices available and ready to be used in their apps."

It's Not Too Late to Assemble at Mendix World

Makers from every corner of the enterprise who are dedicated to creating the digital future of their organizations still have time to join dozens of practical and inspiring sessions. For more information about Mendix World and to join now, please visit Mendix World 2021 Registration.

About Mendix World

Mendix World 2021 is the largest worldwide gathering of low-code experts, technology pioneers, business leaders, industry analysts, and software developers who share their first-hand experiences tackling enterprise digitalization using low-code software development. Thousands of individuals interested in a wide range of digital solutions across multiple economic sectors will be able to choose between live Q&As, learning tracks, demonstrations, and small-group gatherings of solution architects, business strategists, and IT experts attending this year's three-day-long virtual conference.

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Mendix, a Siemens business and the global leader in enterprise low-code, is fundamentally reinventing the way applications are built in the digital enterprise. With the Mendix platform, enterprises can 'Make with More,' by broadening an enterprise's development capability to conquer the software development bottleneck; 'Make it Smart,' by making apps with rich native experiences that are intelligent, proactive, and contextual; and 'Make at Scale,' to modernize core systems and build large app portfolios to keep pace with business growth. The Mendix platform is built to promote intense collaboration between business and IT teams and dramatically accelerate application development cycles, while maintaining the highest standards of security, quality, and governance — in short, to help enterprises confidently leap into their digital futures. Mendix's 'Go Make It' platform has been adopted by more than 4,000 leading companies around the world.

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