Metastorm Upgrades BPM SoftwareMetastorm Upgrades BPM Software

Metastorm updated its business process management software with a more advanced rules-management engine, support for Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), and a dashboard interface for process monitoring.

E-Work version 6.5, expected to be announced today, includes a rules module that's built around Microsoft's BizTalk Server 2004 Rules Engine. Users can build process rules in BizTalk and integrate them with e-Work. The software can also integrate with other manufacturers' rules engines, said Metastorm CEO Bob Farrell.

The new software features support for BPEL, an IT standard for business process system integration. Processes built in BPEL can be imported into e-Work, and processes built in e-Work can be exported as BPEL for use in other systems.

Another e-Work update is its new dashboard for managing and monitoring processes and performance indicators. Though improved, the reporting functionality doesn't yet include the more advanced business intelligence capability expected to result from a partnership Metastorm announced with BI firm Hyperion last month. A version of 6.5 that's integrated with Hyperion will debut roughly in the October timeframe.

Farrell put pricing for a "rich, divisional implementation" of e-Work in the range of $200,000 to $300,000, though deployments can run into six figures. Pricing is based on seats, servers and individual business processes deployed.