For organizations with CICS applications, a HostBridge pilot is as risk-free an endeavor as you’ll find in the world of enterprise software. The reason is simple: the HostBridge team helps prospective customers install, test, and implement HostBridge via a pilot program before licensing it. Through a program called the Pilot Application Workshop (PAW), prospective customers can thoroughly test HostBridge without cost or obligation.

Conducting a HostBridge Pilot Application Workshop

Here’s how a PAW works:

1. Technical feasibility call. During this call, the HostBridge team will discuss a customer’s computing environment, their integration goals, and potential use cases to ensure there’s a proper fit.
2. PAW Document of Understanding. After the technical feasibility call, the HostBridge team will provide the customer with a document of understanding. This document specifies any prerequisites, states expectations, goals and requirements to conduct a successful pilot. It also defines what will make the PAW a success, including the measurements to determine is the PAW was successful.
3. HostBridge software installation. After the PAW document of understanding is in place, the HostBridge support team works with the customer to pre-install the software prior to commencing onsite project work. This installation process generally takes anywhere from two to four hours to complete. Working with the customer, the HostBridge team will run a test case to validate that the software is installed correctly and working.
4. Onsite project work. Following a mutually-agreed upon schedule, the HostBridge implementation specialist will come onsite. Together, customer personnel and HostBridge staff will collaborate on developing CICS web services using JavaScript. During this process, customers will learn how to use HostBridge tools to create and deploy mainframe web services. While onsite, HostBridge implementation technicians like to conduct training, either in formal classes or informally.
5. PAW completion. At the end of the PAW, the HostBridge team will meet with the customer to ensure that everything in the document of understanding was completed. Together, the HostBridge team and the PAW customer will review the results with project stakeholders and discuss potential next steps.

By the end of the PAW, customers will:

• Have HostBridge installed and working on their mainframe.
• Have one or more CICS web services created and tested.
• Understand the performance and scalability of HostBridge JavaScript-created web services for CICS integration.
• Be equipped to develop and deploy additional CICS web services with HostBridge, either for CICS integration, modernization, or to orchestrate key transaction sequences.

HOSTBRIDGE PILOT APPLICATION WORKSHOP PROCESS AND BENEFITS

HostBridge Pilot Application Workshop Costs

For customers located in the United States, there is no cost to conducting a HostBridge pilot. A trial copy of the HostBridge software is provided on a short-term basis for free. HostBridge funds the travel of its staff to U.S. customer locations, and it does not charge a fee for development and training provided during the PAW.

For international customers, HostBridge conducts a PAW when customers cover travel expenses for the HostBridge implementation specialist to come onsite.

Timing and Duration

For clients with interest in doing a PAW, the process can take as little as two weeks of lead time. All that is required is for HostBridge to have access to the appropriate individuals to complete the technical feasibility call, document of understanding, and pre-install the HostBridge software.  The HostBridge implementation specialist will spend three to five business days onsite working with the PAW customer to develop, deploy and test the prototype set of CICS web services. After the conclusion of the PAW, the HostBridge trial license key remains active for 30 to 45 days to allow further testing and development, as well as to allow customers to demonstrate results to stakeholders.

Why You Should Conduct a HostBridge PAW

Integrating CICS applications is almost always a mission-critical activity. The integrations must be quick to develop, easy to deploy, have high reliability, require no changes to CICS applications,  and scale to meet user demands. Conducting a HostBridge pilot allows you to assess each of these requirements, in your environment, with your users, using your applications and infrastructure. There is no better way to prove the value of integrating CICS applications by creating web services than a HostBridge PAW.

If you would like to speak with a HostBridge representative about conducting a pilot, please contact us!