Oracle Labs has recently (April 17, 2018) announced the 1.0 release of GraalVM. GraalVM is an open source language virtual machine(VM), much like the Java VM or Node.js virtual machine. What makes GraalVM interesting, is that it can execute code written in a variety of languages including Java (and Java VM based languages such as Scala, Groovy, or Kotlin), R, JavaScript, along with Ruby, R, and Python. This is a departure from mainstream VM designs. It is much more common to have separate and specific VMs for languages such as PHP or Python. In some cases, a language will byte compile to a different virtual machine, for instance Clojure compiling to the run on the Java VM. Those languages are purpose built to run on a specific VM. GraalVM, on the other hand, runs code written in languages originally built for their own VM.

This approach offers advantages over the traditional approach of one language, one VM. For example, any program that is compiled for GraalVM can share libraries with other programs that is likewise compiled. Developers can write in different languages but still maintain interoperability and code reuse across them all. This also allows developers to continue to use code written in “older languages” while migrating to a new one. Similarly, it allows the continued used of majority language, such as Java, while leveraging languages that are built for specific purposes, such as R. Another advantage of GraalVM is ubiquity. One VM for multiple needs means fewer VMs to provision and update across IT servers and containers. That can be a serious time saver and makes maintaining large and complex systems a bit easier.
Continue reading GraalVM is a Multi-Language Compiler Technology to Watch

In Amalgam’s recent Analyst Insight, “Domo Hajimemashite At Domopalooza 2018, Domo Solves Its Case of Mistaken Identity”, Amalgam introduced a figure showing the 5 Tiers of Technology Value. This pyramid, based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, demonstrates how technology provides value that can be documented, calculated, and used to build business cases.

5 Tiers of Technology Value

To better understand these five tiers, Amalgam provides this guidance to companies seeking a better understanding of how IT investments are justified, as well as the pros and cons associated with each tier.
Continue reading Amalgam’s 5 Tiers of Technology Value

As part of Amalgam Insights’ research process, we also keep track of the wide array of analysts, consultants, and thought leaders who are most relevant across our practice areas. Beyond the most well-known firms, such as the likes of Gartner, Forrester, and IDC, there are a wide array of bespoke and custom firms that conduct world-class work. To help provide context on how Amalgam Insights looks at our peers, partners, and competitors and to help technology buyers make better decisions, Amalgam profiles a firm or thought leader each Thursday to provide guidance on those who we think of as influential and innovative thought leaders.

This week, we profile Hurwitz and Associates, a team of industry analysts focused on articulating the practical value of innovation and emerging technologies.
Continue reading #ThoughtLeaderThursday – Hurwitz and Associates

Report moves beyond traditional money-only ROI, includes analysis of improved departmental collaboration, executive benefits, work-life balance

BOSTON, April 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amalgam Insights (www.amalgaminsights.com), a consulting and strategy firm focused on Technology Consumption Management, today announced the launch of its Business Value Analysis (BVA) reports.  The reports, the company said, deliver far greater usefulness than traditional reports from other analyst firms because of their enhanced focus on more than merely a simple financial return on investment (ROI).

Amalgam Insights’ BVA reports are designed to not only communicate the primary value of software to a firm, but also how it can positively affect the lives of its users, managers, even C-level officers throughout an organization.  A typical Amalgam Insights BVA report analyzes multiple factors that can contribute to the success of enterprise-based software in addition to financial ROI, such as:

• Improved productivity and collaboration with other departments;
• Achieving executive benefits that the C-Suite identifies as key differentiators; and
• Work-life balance that improves morale, accelerates business outcomes, and leads to employee promotions.

“Close management software is an emerging category and as such, prospects typically have not set aside budget to purchase it,” said Wynn White, chief marketing officer at FloQast, a California-based financial Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider. “Amalgam Insights’ BVA report has been key to helping us spotlight the cost of not taking action and the value lost due to inactivity—both monetarily and strategically. Packaged as a report, webinar and online calculator it is a turn-key campaign unto itself.”

In FloQast’s case, the Amalgam Insights BVA was able to not only quantify a first-year financial ROI of almost 650 percent to FloQast’s clients, but also found that companies using FloQast reported “enhanced teamwork and shared working environments by increasing transparency and flexibility.”  Because FloQast is a cloud-based solution, the BVA noted, “employees were able to verify, authorize, and update results regardless of physical location to enable greater work-life flexibility and balance.”

“More than ever, companies are seeking the kind of understanding that goes far beyond just the financial impact on their bottom lines,” said Hyoun Park, CEO and principal analyst at Amalgam Insights.  “Our Business Value Analysis reports deliver on that need, helping firms gain the greater knowledge, stretching beyond a pure ‘dollars-and-cents’ perspective, that enables them to operate more effectively and profitably to compete in today’s marketplace.”

As part of Amalgam Insights’ research process, we also keep track of the wide array of analysts, consultants, and thought leaders who are most relevant across our practice areas. Beyond the most well-known firms, such as the likes of Gartner, Forrester, and IDC, there are a wide array of bespoke and custom firms that conduct world-class work. To help provide context on how Amalgam Insights looks at our peers, partners, and competitors and to help technology buyers make better decisions, Amalgam profiles a firm or thought leader each Thursday to provide guidance on those who we think of as influential and innovative thought leaders.

First up in this series is Mint Jutras, a firm that Amalgam Insights greatly respects in the Enterprise Applications market.

Who They Are

Mint Jutras is an independent research and advisory firm led by Cindy Jutras, the President and chief analyst of the firm. Mint Jutras covers the business benefits of technology and conducts primary research and analysis across ERP and related enterprise applications including enterprise performance management, manufacturing solutions, and accounting as well as digital transformation, business customization, and strategic planning. Mint Jutras provides speaking, writing, and research capabilities to the enterprise applications markets.

Why You Should Read Them

Mint Jutras brings deep experience across pricing, licensing, product development, and a variety of industries. In addition, her primary ERP survey provides deep insight into the current state of ERP, including emerging trends and data points that either confirm or contradict market assumptions. Having had the experience of working with Cindy Jutras at the Aberdeen Group and having learned some of the intricacies of survey-based research from her, I can attest to the detail and thought of the survey process that Mint Jutras has put into each annual survey.

Mint Jutras also provides deep experience from Cindy Jutras’ career that spans the history of Enterprise Resource Planning as a core enterprise system. This experience is the basis of the context that Mint Jutras brings into its research. This combination of experience and data makes Mint Jutras a must-read firm for any ERP vendor or for any business strategist seeking to augment, update, or replace their ERP environments.

Finally, Cindy Jutras of Mint Jutras is regularly listed as a top ERP influencer whether the source is Solutions Review, ERPeople, or Onalytica.

Potential For Amalgam Insights to Work With Mint Jutras

Amalgam Insights and Mint Jutras share a Director of Business Development, Lisa Lincoln and our respect for Mint Jutras should be obvious. However, our coverage areas only overlap in the areas of accounting and enterprise performance management, which limits our potential to work together. That said, it’s fair to say that Amalgam would love to work with Mint Jutras if the potential for a joint project came up.

Next Week: Hurwitz and Associates

On March 27th, Oracle announced availability of the Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse Cloud, a service that will spin up a data warehouse and provide automated security, high availability, performance tuning, scaling, patching, and administration at a cost guaranteeed to be half of equivalent Amazon Web Services resources through May 2019. Built on Oracle Database 18c, this new service is both a godsend and a warning call for IT.

As Amalgam said last December, Oracle’s push towards what they are calling the “Autonomous Database” and “Autonomous Cloud” is an important step forward in envisioning an new generation of IT where the operational tasks of rules-based administration, monitoring, and iterative performance tuning are handled without direct human intervention. This will allow IT departments to drive more infrastructure into the cloud and reduce the overall Total Cost of Ownership. This is a fundamental change and differs radically from cloud providers such as Amazon and Microsoft that are providing granular services, but are not replacing the management of those services.

Here’s what you should expect
Continue reading DBAs, Update Your Resumes! Oracle Announces the Availability of Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse Cloud

Recommended Audience: Chief Learning Officers, Chief Human Resources Officers, Learning and Development directors and managers, Corporate Trainers, Enterprise Librarians and Content Managers, Instructional Designers, Corporate Communications, Product Managers with a Content or Learning focus.

Key Takeaway: L&D-based gamification is ignoring major swathes of personality and human motivation, which prevents most current business approaches of gamification from being effective.
Continue reading Why Learning And Development Efforts Misuse Gamification (One-Size-Does-Not-Fit-All)

On March 14, 2018, the great Stephen Hawking passed away. As a scientist, evangelist, and public figure, Hawking has been one of the preeminent voices in science over the past 50 years based on his primary research, his best-selling writing including “A Brief History in Time,” and his media appearances in pop culture bastions such as the Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory.

He is the most inspirational and memorable scientist of our generation. But what is it that made him great and what can we take away from his life that can improve what we do? As an IT researcher, my mission is far less ambitious than Hawking’s. But even so, there are a few lessons I like to think I learned from him Continue reading The great Stephen Hawking has passed away

Recommended Reading for: Finance, Sales Operations, Supply Chain Management, IT Management, and Enterprise Strategy Personnel
Companies Mentioned: Anaplan, IBM, SAP, Oracle, Microstrategy, Tableau, DataRobot, TROVE Data, Louis Vuitton, Premji Invest, Salesforce Ventures, Top Tier Capital Partners, Baillie Gifford, Granite Ventures, Industry Ventures, Meritech Capital, Constellation Research, Ventana Research, IDC, Mint Jutras, ISG, Gartner, Apps Run the World, TechVentive

On March 6th and 7th, 2018, Amalgam Insights attended Anaplan Hub 18. Anaplan has been on Amalgam analysts’ radar for several years, as we consider Anaplan’s Hyperblock foundation and ability to serve multi-departmental planning in enterprises without a year or more of setup to be fundamental advantages. As we have covered this company, we have been waiting for Anaplan to reach its breakthrough moment where it takes its place as one of the true market leaders in enterprise applications. It is in this context that we attended Anaplan Hub and judged our interactions with Anaplan executives, customers, and partners.

This report provides updates on Anaplan’s key business metrics, executive insights from an analyst-only panel, keynote and product announcements, a 2018 perspective on customer success stories with Anaplan, and Amalgam’s expectations for Anaplan in 2018 and beyond as both a real-time planning application and a Platform as a Service.

Anaplan Key Business Updates
Continue reading Anaplan States Planning Is Dead, Focuses on the Era of Real-Time Decision