Karl Werner explains his view of the Sybase PowerBuilder language, "I personally feel a big part of our success here is a result of choosing Sybase PowerBuilder. Using Sybase PowerBuilder, we can produce volumes of structured, maintainable code much faster than other shops that use competing products. These days, many Java shops are seeing a backlash because they can't get their product out fast enough and it takes too long to maintain the code they have written. The Java language is far more verbose and technically challenging than Sybase PowerBuilder. In organizations where you don't have the budget or are unable to spend a lot of time, Sybase PowerBuilder is a much better choice."

Improving the Workflow Process
Using Sybase EAServer to supply centralized database information to a suite of related applications has increased the efficiency of the system's 13,000 users. Not only do the applications more readily share information, the system also has removed several time-intensive steps from the process of data collection and distribution. The previous system often relied on filling out paperwork and then giving the paperwork to a central record-keeping department for entry into the system.

The new system is capable of capturing the data directly into the system. The benefits are many: less effort is required to capture the same information, it removes a step where transcription errors can be generated, and it avoids the information latency that came from waiting for data-entry.

Hindsight Confirms Success
Karl Werner and his fellow team members chose their tools wisely when they were tasked with turning this project around. Three other efforts had stumbled before the new team got their chance. Sybase EAServer provided a solid middle tier to hold business objects, manage database access, and communicate with clients. Sybase PowerBuilder gave them the ability to rapidly develop the business object functionality, and Sybase ASE completed the solution by providing a stable data repository. The end result is flexible and easily extended to adapt to future needs. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of preceding failures, the project has succeeded; initially skeptical users have become believers, and the government-contracting officer sees regular, predictable releases that clearly demonstrate the project is on track.

Werner believes their selection of tools helped them create an application that will stand up over time, "These were the right tools for the right job, even in hindsight. I think that says more about your choices from a technology perspective than anything else. If you get five years down the road, look back and say yes, we did choose the right tools for the project, you can be pretty proud of that. Had we chosen the wrong tools we would certainly know it by now. The products are here to stay and I expect this base platform to be here for many years to come."

This article is reprinted with permission from Sybase Incorporated.