According to Gartner, "composition" (i.e. the orchestrated assembly of data, processes and services) is expected to become the primary incarnation of business software delivery (see Gartner, Composition and BPM Will Change the Game for Business System Design, Dec. 2009). In more concrete terms, Gartner thinks that compositions will gradually replace applications as the primary incarnation of business software systems. Other analyst firms seem to think along similar lines, albeit different terms are used to describe composition-driven concepts.

Gartner's strategic planning assumptions include a statement saying that "through 2014, the act of composition will be a stronger opportunity to deliver value from software than the act of development".

Clearly, analyst firms are not alone in discovering ways for more effective business software delivery. It seems that some innovative software vendors have realized the benefits of the composition approach years ago and have started to develop software products that implement an Integrated Composition and Execution Environment (ICEE) rather than an IDE (Integrated Development Environment). In fact, products are already available.

There is no category name for this emerging kind of software yet. Therefore, we propose the term "Dynamic Enterprise Management Software" (DEMS), which, in our view, characterizes best what this new breed of software is all about.

To help you get an overview of DEMS software products, we will evaluate products that we feel will have the potential to earn a strong position in the market. So, please stay tuned for more information.

The Vision

Where Dynamic Enterprise Management Software (DEMS) Excels

Who Performs the Act of Composition?

Applications or Business Capabilities?

What are the Basic Concepts?

Business Components and Compositions

Goal-oriented Versus Procedural Business Processes

Business Engineering and Business Architecture

Executable Architecture

ICEE Product Categories

Products Considered for Evaluation

Completeness of Scope

Use Case-Driven Evaluation

Current DEMS Implementations